Ghanaian novelist and author of What Napoleon Could Not Do, DK Nnuro, says his debut novel was inspired by his experiences: ‘Since relocating to the US from Ghana, I have had one foot firmly placed among Black immigrants—Ghanaian immigrants, specifically—and another among Black Americans. It was natural that I would explore the tensions between the two in a novel.’
Growing up in Ghana in the 1980s, there were certain writers you didn’t escape. Ama Ata Aidoo, who passed away in May 2023, was one such writer, Nii Ayikwei Parkes writes. Hers is a timeless legacy of a writer who triumphed over the double battle of high-level literary creation and persistent erasure, and became one of the world’s leading thinkers and writers.
For a long time, not many Ghanaians knew that Theodosia Okoh designed their country’s iconic flag. Like many African countries, the history of Ghana’s independence unfailingly details the contributions of men who are all tagged ‘founding fathers’. Women like Okoh and their contributions, however, are often left out of the archives and consciousness of their country people.
Ama Ata Aidoo, whose works include The Dilemma of a Ghost (1962), Our Sister Killjoy (1977), Someone Talking to Sometime (1986), and Changes: A Love Story (1991), has died aged 81. The Ghanaian novelist, poet, and playwright was a renowned feminist whose works celebrated the lives of Ghanaian and African women.
Maame, a novel by Jessica George, is an intense yet uplifting journey towards self-discovery. The novel carefully explores what it means to find one’s true self and how to deal with grief.
In curating the Biennale Architettura 2023 in Venice in May, Lesley Lokko is set to make history as the exhibition’s first Black architect. Lokko’s career as an architect has been eclectic but always revolving around the subject of Africa’s past, present and future.
A Quick Ting on Afrobeats hardly reflects on moral conundrums. Seemingly obsessed with Black pride and optimism, Adofo’s book embraces a positive outlook and perhaps this is the right attitude to afrobeats.