AUCC celebrates Ama Ata Aidoo

The Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing at the Africa University College of Communications (AUCC), has celebrated prominent Ghanaian writer; Ama Ata Aidoo.

The Center on Tuesday, October 17, organized an interactive session with the legendary writer dubbed; “conversation”, where she shared her experience in her success story with the audience.

In March 2017, the AUCC launched the “Ama Ata Aidoo” Centre for Creative Writing to celebrate the remarkable work of the author.

Mr Kojo Yankah, founder of AUCC said, it was worthy to celebrate a legend, while she was alive and to allow the young generation to learn from her experience.

"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 that he University was founded in an African spirit and was part of the reason they celebrated 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 institutionalise one of our own writers, then we needed someone who had a mixed of them all and that is Ama Ata Aidoo."

Ama Ata Aidoo said she was happy for the honour done her by the University's Center for Creative Writing.

She encouraged the students and young writers to aim higher and achieve more than what she has done.

"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 said she was not a political writer as suggested by her critics but rather she had political notion when writing.

She answered series of questions whilst urging the audience not to be limited in their imaginative skill.

Ama Ata Aidoo, is a Ghanaian from Abeadze Kyeakor in the Central Region, is one of Ghana’s notable writers – whose poetry, plays and books are widely read in Ghana and across the world.

She received 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 popular works.

Ama Ata Aidoo is also a known feminist who centers women’s experiences in her books.

Ama Ata Aidoo was once the Minister of Education in Ghana under the Jerry Rawlings administration.

AUCC, is a private tertiary institution established in 2002 by Kojo Yankah, a former member of Parliament and editor of the Daily Graphic.

The Ama Ata Aidoo Centre of Creative Writing has among other things published an anthology called 'Adabraka' and provide support for critical reading and creative writing.

It has organised workshops and writing clinics and has launched a community reading programme dubbed ‘One Book One Community’ to support the nation’s literacy drive.

The Centre led by Nana S. Acheamping has also supported other creative artists to publish their works.