Wp/gpe/Ama Ata Aidoo

Ama Ata Aidoo

human

Sex or gender	female
Country of citizenship	Ghana
Name in native language	Ama Ata Aidoo
Given name	Ama
Family name	Aidoo
Date of birth	23 March 1942
Place of birth	Abeadzi Kyiakor
Date of death	31 May 2023
Place of death	Accra
Manner of death	natural causes
Cause of death	disease
Native language	Fante
Languages spoken, written or signed	English, Fante
Occupation	poet, novelist, playwright, politician
Field of work	poetry, drama, fiction literature
Employer	Brown University
Position held	Minister for Education
Educated at	Wesley Girls' High School, University of Ghana
Work location	Zimbabwe
Work period (start)	1964
Member of political party	Provisional National Defence Council
Award received	Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Personal pronoun	L484

Ama Ata Aidoo, née Christina Ama Aidoo (dem born am 23 March 1942) be Ghanaian author, poet, playwright den academic. Na she be de Minister of Education for Jerry Rawlings ein tym. For 2000 insyd, she establish de Mbaasem Foundation so say she go take promote den support de work of African women writers.

Ein early life

Dem born Aidoo for 23 March 1942 for Saltpond wey dey Central Region for Ghana insyd. Sum sources wey dey include Megan Behrent, Brown University, den Africa Who's Who state say dem born am for 31 March 1940. She get twin bro, Kwame Ata.

Ein education

Aidoo attend Wesley Girls' Senior High School wey dey Cape Coast from 1961 dey go 1964. Afta ein high school, she enrol for de University of Ghana, Legon wer she get degree of Bachelor of Arts for English insyd wey she san rep ein first play, De Dilemma of a Ghost, for 1964 insyd. Longman publish de play de following year, wey emake Aidoo de first published African woman dramatist.

Ein film

She be de subject of sam 2014 documentary film, De Art of Ama Ata Aidoo, made by Yaba Badoe.

Ein awards den recognition

Aidoo receive chaw awards wey dey include de 1992 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book (Africa) for ein novel Changes.

De Aidoo-Snyder book prize, de Women's Caucus of the African Studies Association award am for outstanding book woman publish wey dey prioritize African women demma experiences, dem name am in honor of Ama Ata Aidoo den of Margaret C. Snyder, wey na be de founding director for UNIFEM.

Dem launch for March 2017 insyd, dem name Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing (Aidoo Centre), wey dey under de auspices for de Kojo Yankah School of Communications Studies for de African University College of Communications (AUCC) insyd Adabraka, Accra, for ein honour insyd—ebi de first centre of ein kind insyd West Africa, plus Nii Ayikwei Parkes as ein director.

Death

Aidoo die for 31 May 2023, for de age of 81. According to ein family, she die peacefully for home after sam short illness.

Ein works dem select

• De Dilemma of a Ghost (play), Accra: Longman, 1965. New York: Macmillan, 1971.
• Anowa (ebi play wey dey base on Ghanaian legend), London: Longman, 1970. New York: Humanities Press, 1970.
• No Sweetness Here: A Collection of Short Stories, Longman, 1970.
• Our Sister Killjoy: or Reflections from a Black-eyed Squint (novel), Longman, 1977.
• Someone Talking to Sometime (a poetry collection), Harare: College Press, 1986.
• De Eagle den de Chickens and Other Stories (for children), Tana Press, 1986.
• Birds den Other Poems, Harare: College Press, 1987.
• An Angry Letter in January (poems), Dangaroo Press, 1992.
• Changes: a Love Story (novel), De Women's Press, 1991.
• De Girl Who Can den Other Stories, Heinemann African Writers Series, 1997.
• Diplomatic Pounds & Other Stories, Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2012.

As editor

• African Love Stories: An Anthology, African Love Stories: An Anthology, Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2006.

Further reading

• Aditya Misra, "Death in Surprise: Gender and Power Dynamics in Ama Ata Aidoo's Anowa". Journal of Drama Studies, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2012, pp. 81–91.
• Anne V. Adams (ed.), Essays in Honour of Ama Ata Aidoo at 70: A Reader in African Cultural Studies. Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2012.
• Ada Uzoamaka Azodo and G. Wilentz, Emerging Perspectives on Ama Ata Aidoo, Africa Research & Publications, 1999.
• Vincent O. Odamtten, The Art of Ama Ata Aidoo: Polylectics and Reading Against Neocolonialism. University Press of Florida, 1994.
• Esther Pujolràs-Noguer, An African (Auto)biography. Ama Ata Aidoo's Literary Quest: Strangeness, nation and tradition, Lap Lambert Academic Publishing, 2012.
• Nafeesah Allen, "Negotiating with the Diaspora: an Interview with Ama Ata Aidoo", Scholar & Feminist Online, 2009.