By Ernest Nutsugah
Accra, Mar 5, GNA – Inspired by other Guinness World Record attempts, Ms Veronica Obeng, an Accountant and TV Host, wants to challenge herself and set a record for the longest reading marathon.
Starting Saturday, March 24, 2024, she will read aloud a wide range of books, spanning at least 155 hours – approximately six days and a few more hours.
Ms Obeng said she wanted to obtain global recognition for local authors, having worked with them for “many years and understood their challenges”.
As Managing Partner of Africa Must Read, a non-profit organisation, she again considered the event as an opportunity to champion and boost the culture of reading among younger generations.
“I see Guinness Book of World Records as a platform for global exposure, where people can showcase their talents, creativity and contributions to the community.
“Apart from throwing the light on authors, my effort is also to encourage community members to take personal development as a responsibility since it leads to national development,” she told the Ghana News Agency.
Ms Obeng appealed for the support of individuals, corporates and stakeholders in the book and publishing industry ahead of the event scheduled to take place at the Aburi Botanical Garden in the Eastern Region.
The current longest reading marathon record of 124 hours is held by Rysbai Isakov (Kyrgyzstan) in Bursa, Turkey, who made the attempt from September 22 to 27, 2022. Ms Obeng’s attempt is expected to end Monday, April 1, 2024.
After all is done, the host of Books and Financial Review TV show plans to inaugurate additional Africa Must Read book clubs across schools in the country and beyond.
Africa Must Read, among other objectives, works to enrich African lives and build communities through literacy.
That, Ms Obeng explained, was being done by creating awareness of the importance of reading right from childhood to adulthood.
Book fairs, libraries, clubs and other initiatives supervised by the Organisation, she added, also helped to provide the youth “the best books by trusted authors”.
GNA