Ghana marks International Book Fair with launch of 'Ama Ghana'

Ghana has marked the 23rd Ghana International Book Fair with the unveiling of Ama Ghana, a new publication by Adwinsa Publications aimed at promoting reading and exposing children to Ghana’s cultural and tourism attractions.

The launch, held on Friday, August 28, 2026, at the National Theatre in Accra, formed part of the Adwinsa Children’s Show organised in collaboration with the Ghana Library Authority.

The event brought together stakeholders in the publishing and library sectors, authors, educators and children to celebrate books and encourage a stronger reading culture.

Speaking at the event, Executive Director of the Ghana Library Authority, Alhassan Betintiche Ziblim, said the Authority was well positioned to support reading and library development across the country, despite some challenges.

He said financial constraints remained one of the major issues confronting the Authority and called for continued support to improve library services.

Ziblim said the government’s focus on tourism presented an opportunity for the book industry to produce content capable of attracting both local and international interest.

He noted that, under the government’s development agenda, about six libraries had been renovated over the past year.

The Executive Director also praised local publishers for their contribution to Ghana’s library system, stressing that locally produced books were essential to ensuring that children could identify with the content they read.

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“Local publishers are very key for libraries in Ghana. If we don’t have local publishers, we won’t get local books because if children don’t see content that they are familiar with locally, they are not happy,” he said.

He described the work of publishers as a sacrifice that goes beyond profit-making, saying their efforts also support the Ghana Library Authority.

Chief Executive Officer of Adwinsa Publications, Kwaku Oppong, said the unveiling of Ama Ghana was intended to help readers learn about Ghana and its tourist destinations through books.

He said the publication could give readers an idea of different places in Ghana even before they physically visited them.

Oppong, however, raised concerns about the rising cost of production in the publishing industry, particularly the cost of paper and other materials.

He called for measures to reduce the cost of publishing inputs, saying this would help the industry grow and make books more affordable.

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