The Ama Atta Aidoo Centro for Creative Writing at the Africa University College of Communications (AUCC), has celebrated renowned Ghanaian writer; Ama Ata Aidoo.
On Tuesday October 17th the center organized an interactive session with the prominent writer under the theme, ”conversation”, she shared her experience in her success story with the crowd.
In March 2017, the AUCC launched the “Ama Ata Aidoo” Center for Creative Writing to celebrate the outstanding work of the author.
Mr Kojo Yankah, founder of AUCC said, it was worthy to celebrate this icon, while she was alive and to serve as a deterrent to the younger and upcoming generation
“We are lucky to have her alive,” he said.
“If we had waited until something terribly had happened before we named the Center after her, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to listen to her this evening.”
Mr Yankah said the University was established in an African spirit and that explains why they celebrate African achievers and other success stories
“We probably have the only department of African Studies, which teaches students throughout their course to know their culture, history, etc and this reflects our motor. If we wanted to institutionalize one of our own writers, then we needed someone who had a mixed of them all and that is Ama Ata Aidoo.”
Ama Atta Aiddo said she was very much excited at the honor given to her by the University’s Center for Creative Writing .
She urged them focus on their dreams and reach beyond the stars in order for them to go higher and attain better things than she did.
“I discovered myself as a writer at the young age of 13, and so anybody can write. You can do more than what I have done if you believe in yourself and continue to work hard,” she said.
She further explained that she was not a political writer as people thought she was but she rather had a political concept when she always pens things down
She answered numerous questions whilst encouraging the audience not to be restricted in their visionary skills.
Ama Ata Aidoo, a Ghanaian from Abeadze Kyeakor in the Central Region, is one of Ghana’s renowned writers – whose poetry, plays and books are read abroad.
She was given the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book (Africa) for her novel titled ‘Changes’ in 1992.
Her books, Our Sister Killjoy and Anowa are some of her well known works.
Ama Ata Aidoo is also a known feminist who centers women’s experiences and ordeals in her books.
Ama Ata Aidoo was once the Minister of Education in Ghana during Jerry Rawlings regime
AUCC, is a private tertiary institution founded in 2002 by Kojo Yankah, who was the former member of Parliament and editor of the Daily Graphic.
The Ama Ata Aidoo Center of Creative Writing has among other things published an anthology called ‘Adabraka’ and provide support for critical reading and creative writing.
It has organized workshops and writing clinics and has launched a community reading program dubbed ‘One Book One Community’ to support the nation’s literacy drive.
The Center led by Nana S. Acheamping has also supported other creative artists to publish their works.
