7 Books by Ghanaian Authors You Should Read
It’s the 65th anniversary of Ghana’s Independence as a nation! What better way to celebrate this than to highlight some of the most brilliant literary works to come out of this beautiful nation? Below are 7 books by both veteran and budding Ghanaian authors you should try reading.
The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born – Ayi Kwei Armah
This was used as a prescribed literature text in West Africa, so it’s very likely that you’ve come across this title, at least once. Set against post-colonial Ghana, this tale graphically describes how it feels like to be morally upright in a compromised world. A must-read, especially if you’re a lover of satirical fictions.
Faceless – Amma Darko
Reading this page-turner is like a rollercoaster. It’s thrilling, and you might not put it down until the last page. Faceless paints the gory picture of the Street Child Phenomenon in Ghana. Our protagonist is Fofo, a fourteen-year-old who fights so many battles in life, from the gruesome murder of her sister, Baby T, to daily survival on the streets. We definitely need a good movie of this book.
The Marriage of Anansewa – Efua Sutherland
On the surface, it is a drama about the suitors of a promising young lady, and how her seeming death will expose who deserves her the most. But this story goes beyond the surface. You just have to dig deep to discover the hidden treasures, and while at it, you’d come in contact with a plethora of wise sayings, proverbs, songs, and what have you? It’s a beautiful story from one of Ghana’s foremost women writers.
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A Woman in Her Prime – Asare Konadu
Meet Pokuwaa, an industrious female farmer in Brenhoma. Though Pokuwaa has been married a number of times, she remains childless, despite observing various rites that ought to open her womb. Asare Konadu deals with gender and the inner workings of a matrilineal society in a pre-colonial Ghanaian setting. He also highlights indigenous sovereign systems of spirituality, all predominant before the advent of the British in West Africa.
Our Sister Killjoy – Ama Ata Aidoo
This book follows the story of Sussie, and her experiences as an undergraduate scholarship student in England. Thematically speaking, Our Sister Killjoy is a satire, or better put, an attack on the notions of exile as relief from the societal constraints of national development. It’s more of a course-paper focused work than a casual read, but the author skillfully employs both prose and poetry in weaving this breath-taking tale.
The Promise of Hope – Kofi Awoonor
The poems in this volume were authored by Professor Kofi Awoonor, but it was published posthumously after his murder at a mall in Nairobi, Kenya on the 21st of September 2013. It features the brilliant words of the critically-acclaimed poet. There are over 150 poems in this volume, collected from both his published and unpublished collections; Until The Morning After; The House by the Sea; Ride Me Memory, among others. It is a classic case of when a man’s words continue to live on after his death.
Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi
Homegoing is Ghanaian-American author Yaa Gyasi’s debut, and it has received well-deserved praise ever since it was published. A semi autobiographical tale, it follows the family histories (well over three hundred years) of two half sisters, Effia and Esi to reveal how their families end up. It is a remarkably-confident story that is well-researched, worded and narrated.
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Nonye Asuquo
Maame Abena