Afetsi Awoonor brings StoryMoja Festivals to Ghana

Afetsi Awoonor, son of late Prof. Kofi Awoonor - the Ghanaian author and poet who was killed by Al-Shabaab terrorists in 2013 during the Westgate Mall crisis in Nairobi, Kenya - has signed a pact with the organizers of the StoryMoja Festival in Kenya to have the literary and creative arts festival in Ghana from the 21 to 25 September, 2016, at the W.E.B Dubois Centre in Accra. 

The festival which attracts over 6,000 participants in Kenya, was founded by Muthoni Garland, Kenyan writer, publisher and editor who along with a group of writers as well as, the festival patron Dr. Auma Obama, are committed to publishing contemporary East African writing of world-class standard.

According to Awoonor, the Ghanaian StoryMoja Team, will focus on nurturing, showcasing and celebrating ideas and creativity that will shape Africa's future by bringing together writers, opinion leaders and role models from the creative arts world.

Speaking further at the contract signing event which happened at the W.E.B Dubois Centre here in Accra, Awoonor, who before now has pledged to uphold his father’s legacy said "Although creative literary talents abound in Ghana, there are very few platforms for literary performances and discussions, more so on a platform as renowned as the StoryMoja festival."

The Ghanaian StoryMoja Team, comprises of;

- Mr. Afetsi Awoonor, Producer

(Entreprenuer, Poet, Philanthropist)

- Sena Tsikata, Partnerships

(Actor, 'Marcia from Things We Do For Love, Writer and Activist)

- Oswald Okaitei, Programmes/Artist Management

(Playwright, Poet, Artistic Director)

- Nana Nyarko Boateng, Schools and Careerpedia

(Writer, Editor at the Gird Center)

- Festus Dzogbewu, Media Relations

(Writer, Actor)

- Martin Odoi, Site Management 

(Pan-Africanist, Programs Manager – Du Bois Centre)

- James Appiah, Protocol

- and Anita Bukky Olu, Logistics

As part of the StoryMoja Festival, the Ghana Team will be in charge of the “start-a-library” initiative which aims to refurbish and creating new libraries for schools, as well as to rehabilitate the open air theatre at the Center for National Culture, Accra and make it a place that would be more attractive to visitors.

The organizers also pointed out that the discussion sessions of the festival would be used to tackle diverse issues facing Africa /Ghana from a Pan-African perspective. Beside this, the festival will also include memorial lectures, book launches, meet the author sessions as well as create an avenue for networking.

"The StoryMoja festival will also help inspire and empower the youth to become active citizens as well as become better prepared to take on the mantle of leadership in Ghana,” Awoonor said.

Expressing gratitude to the Ghanaian StoryMoja Team for inviting her to come to Ghana to help prepare for the festival in September, the founder, Muthoni Garland said “I was a big fan of Kofi Awoonor and his writings meant a lot to me as I was growing up. So I am privileged to be here to help Ghana start its own Storymoja festival”.