The Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing launches a book reading seminar.
By Daniel Asiedu-Ofei
21st September, 2018.
The Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing which is located in the campus of the African University College of Communications (A.U.C.C) organized a book reading event on 14th September, 2018 at the Jamestown Café.
The book which was the centre piece of the event was the Anthology, Adabraka: Stories from the Centre of The World which was put together by the Director of the Aidoo Centre, Nana S. Achampong.
Some authors whose stories can be found in the Anthology, read portions of their respective stories to the audience. Such authors include-
Kofi Marfo who wrote "Visit to the End of the World",
Sena Cobblah who wrote "Sɛdɛm",
Kwaku Baah-Acheamfour who wrote "Burgundy Dress",
Kofi Berko who wrote "Tuesday",
Seyram Asimah who wrote "The Seedy Presumption",
Akorfa Dawson who wrote "Somewhere a Distant Bell Tolled Midnight",
Kwesi Woode who wrote "Don't Wake Me Up",
Elikem M. Aflakpui who wrote "Of Planks and Splinters",
Serwa Gyedu-Nuako who wrote "In Bed at ɔdɔ-Nna" and
Alvin Akuamoah who wrote "Hard Times".
The owner of Jamestown Café, Joe Osae-Addo also made a key statement saying "This is how I envisioned the place to be. A place where African and Ghanaian stories can be shared with rest of the world".
The reception of the audience towards the event was highly interactive with a cross-section asking various questions they had in mind about the stories. The Queen mother of Adabraka Naa Korkor Adzieoyi I also graced the event.
M.C of the event Dela Michel who is a broadcast journalist for GHOne TV also praised the event by saying "This is the first time I have seen stories from Adabraka coming together in one book".
Another piece of information that grabbed the attention of all and sundry was the statement by the Director of the Aidoo Centre Nana S. Achampong saying "This event will not only end at Jamestown but it will be held in the Ashanti Region, Brong-Ahafo Region and perhaps the Western Region.
Prof. Ama Ata Aidoo is one of the most decorated feminist writers of recent times. Her numerous works include 'Someone Talking to Sometime', 'Anowa', 'Our Sister Killjoy' and 'Changes'. Aidoo began to write seriously while an honors student at the University of Ghana. She won early recognition with the groundbreaking play, 'The Dilemma of a Ghost' (1965), in which a Ghanaian student returning home brings his African American wife into the traditional culture and the extended family that he now finds restrictive. In 1982-83 she served as Ghana's minister of education.
The Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing was established March 17, 2017 as a learning facility at the African University College of Communications in Adabraka, Accra in honor of the legendary writer. Under the auspices of the Kojo Yankah School of Communication at AUCC, the AidooCentre has since then created numerous opportunities for literary connection and exchange and stimulated cultural expression, primarily in the Accra city area.