Ghanaian Centre of PEN International eulogises Prof Ama Ata Aidoo

According to the statement, the Ghanaian PEN Centre has indeed lost one of its strong pillars and would miss her wise counsel and exemplary literary prowess.

Below is the full statement.

Ghanaian Centre of PEN International loses a global literary icon

The Ghanaian Centre of PEN International (a worldwide association of writers) has learnt with deep sadness the death today, May 31, 2023, of Prof Ama Ata Aidoo, one of its senior members and a global literary icon.

Prof Aidoo has been one of the strong towers of African literature. She was until her death a prominent member of the Ghanaian PEN Centre, who from behind the scenes supported the Centre’s programme for the promotion of literature and freedom of expression in Ghana.

Prof. Aidoo was an accomplished writer, poet, and playwright, who made colossal contributions to literature in Ghana, Africa, and the world. She was globally celebrated as a distinguished writer and poet. She received international recognition for her novel, ‘Our Sister Killjoy’, and her play, ‘Anowa’.

Prof. Aidoo in 1992 won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Book in Africa for her novel, Changes. In 2018, she was recognised for her lasting impact on Ghanaian and African literature and honoured with the prestigious Ghanatta Award for Literature.

The Ghanaian PEN Centre has indeed lost one of its strong pillars and would miss her wise counsel and exemplary literary prowess.

The Executive Committee and the entire membership of the Ghanaian PEN Centre send their deepest condolences to the children and family of its departed member.

Dr Frankie Asare-Donkoh

President