Why Ghanaian writers can’t make a living from their work

Read Comments Comments (6)

• Kweku Donsuro 10 years ago

  I am an author and my challenge is that Africans in general do not appreciate and support their writers. Government and the private sector businesses should also chip in to subsidize writers because publishing is costly. You ...
  read full comment

  I am an author and my challenge is that Africans in general do not appreciate and support their writers. Government and the private sector businesses should also chip in to subsidize writers because publishing is costly. You are right in noting that we have no selling or packaging strategies.

  reply
• Godd 10 years ago

  But one thing we should not forget: only very few authors can live by their authored books - worldwide. It is not a specifically Ghanaian thing. Even in the USA where there are millions of good writers all categories, only a ...
  read full comment

  But one thing we should not forget: only very few authors can live by their authored books - worldwide. It is not a specifically Ghanaian thing. Even in the USA where there are millions of good writers all categories, only a few of them can live on their authored works. Many just scrape by. One difference as you've pointed out, Kweku, is that all these countries support their artists (not only writers) financially to live a somewhat decent life. They support their painters, musicians, dancers, actors, etc. But the state in Ghana cannot do that because we are a poor country, we have other more pressing and identifiable needs and the politicians are chopping much of the money ... (without producing any works of art).
  
  I think the article correctly describes the problems in Ghana. Something can be done to improve the situation.
  
  I wish the conference participants good luck. I hope they come up with more solutions than the ones indicated in the article.

  reply
• Brofo 10 years ago

  Because they write nonsense just like you.....

  Because they write nonsense just like you.....

  reply
• Dessie 10 years ago

  history;ghanaians are not story tellersand even;professors can't write own books for teaching;and if professor cant create their own theories,there will be no innovations..we will be stalemate on where we are

  history;ghanaians are not story tellersand even;professors can't write own books for teaching;and if professor cant create their own theories,there will be no innovations..we will be stalemate on where we are

  reply
• Amenkakure 10 years ago

  This is an advertisement. It has nothing to do with Ghanaian writers not able to make a living as authors. It is an ad for The Hetura Author Training Programme.

  This is an advertisement. It has nothing to do with Ghanaian writers not able to make a living as authors. It is an ad for The Hetura Author Training Programme.

  reply
• Godd 10 years ago

  It's article announcing some event.
  
  What's wrong with that?

  It's article announcing some event.
  
  What's wrong with that?

  reply