Kofi Awoonor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kofi Awoonor
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| 8th Ghana Permanent Representative to the United Nations | |
| In office 1990–1994 |
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| President | Jerry Rawlings |
| Preceded by | James Victor Gbeho |
| Succeeded by | George Lamptey |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor-Williams
13 March 1935 Wheta, Gold Coast, Ghana |
| Died | 21 September 2013 (aged 78) Nairobi, Kenya |
| Relations | Nii Parkes (nephew) |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Poet, author, academic and diplomat |
Kofi Awoonor (born George Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor-Williams; 13 March 1935 – 21 September 2013) was a famous Ghanaian poet, writer, and diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. His writings mixed the old traditions of his Ewe people with new ideas and religious symbols. He used his art to show what Africa was like as it gained independence from colonial rule.
Kofi Awoonor first wrote under the name George Awoonor-Williams. Later, he also used the name Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor. He taught African literature at the University of Ghana. Sadly, Professor Awoonor was among those killed in an attack at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 2013. He was there for a writing festival called Storymoja Hay Festival.
Contents
Early Life and Family
George Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor-Williams was born in Wheta, a town in what was then called the Gold Coast. This area is now known as the Volta region of Ghana. He was the oldest of ten children in his family. His family had roots in Sierra Leone. His grandmother was an Ewe dirge singer, which means she sang sad songs, often for funerals.
Education and Early Writings
Kofi Awoonor went to Achimota School and then to the University of Ghana. He finished his studies there in 1960. While at university, he wrote his first book of poems, called Rediscovery. It was published in 1964.
Like all his later works, Rediscovery was inspired by African oral poetry. This is poetry that is spoken or sung, rather than written down. His early poems were especially influenced by the songs and verses of his Ewe people. He later translated the works of three Ewe dirge singers into English.
He continued his studies in literature at University College London in England. He earned a Master's Degree there in 1970. He then went on to get his Ph.D. from Stony Brook University in New York in 1972.
A Career in Literature and Diplomacy
After graduating in 1960, Awoonor worked as a researcher. He also joined in campaigns for Pan-Africanism, a movement that wanted to unite all African people. He worked for the Ghana Film Corporation and helped start the Ghana Playhouse. He even acted in a play called The Lion and the Jewel.
In the 1960s, he was the editor of a literary magazine called Okyeame. He also helped edit Transition Magazine. While living in England, he wrote several radio plays for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). This is when he started using the name Kofi Awoonor.
He spent the early 1970s in the United States, where he studied and taught at Stony Brook University. During this time, he wrote two books, This Earth, My Brother and Night of My Blood, both published in 1971.
Kofi Awoonor returned to Ghana in 1975. He became the head of the English department at the University of Cape Coast. A few months later, he was arrested and put in prison. He was released in October 1976. His book The House by the Sea (1978) is about his time in jail.
Awoonor became a diplomat for Ghana. He was Ghana's ambassador to Brazil from 1984 to 1988. After that, he served as ambassador to Cuba. From 1990 to 1994, Awoonor was Ghana's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. This meant he represented Ghana at the UN, where he led a committee working against apartheid. Apartheid was a system of racial segregation in South Africa. He also served as the Chairman of the Council of State, which advises the president of Ghana. He held this position from 2009 to January 2013.
Kofi Awoonor's Poetry
Kofi Awoonor's early poems were deeply influenced by the oral traditions of the Ewe people. In his book Guardians of the Sacred Word and Ewe Poetry, he translated Ewe poems into English. Another important book of his was The Breast of the Earth, which explored the history, culture, and literature of Africa.
His Passing
On 21 September 2013, Kofi Awoonor was killed during an attack at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya. He was in Kenya to take part in the Storymoja Hay Festival, a four-day event celebrating writing and storytelling. He was supposed to perform on the evening he died. His nephew, Nii Parkes, was also at the festival and wrote about meeting him for the first time that day.
The Ghanaian government confirmed Awoonor's death the next day. His son, Afetsi Awoonor, was with him and was also shot, but he later recovered and was discharged from the hospital. Kofi Awoonor's body was flown from Nairobi back to Accra, Ghana, on 25 September 2013. He was buried in his hometown of Wheta in the Volta Region.
His Works
Poetry Books
- Rediscovery and Other Poems (1964)
- Night of My Blood (1971) – These poems explore Awoonor's heritage and how foreign rule affected Africa.
- Ride Me, Memory (1973)
- The House by the Sea (1978)
- Until the Morning After: Selected Poems, 1963–85 (1987)
- The Promise of Hope: New and Selected Poems, 1964–2013 (2014)
Novels
- This Earth, My Brother (1971) – This book mixes elements of a novel and a poem.
- Comes the Voyager at Last: A Tale of Return to Africa (1992)
Non-fiction Books
- The Breast of the Earth: A Survey of the History, Culture, and Literature of Africa South of the Sahara (1975)
- The Ghana Revolution: Background Account from a Personal Perspective (1984)
- Ghana: A Political History from Pre-European to Modern Times (1990)
- Africa: The Marginalized Continent (1994)
- The African Predicament: Collected Essays (2006)
As Editor or Translator
- Messages: Poems From Ghana (1971). Edited with G. Adali-Mortty.
- Guardians of the Sacred Word: Ewe Poetry (1974). Translated by Kofi Awoonor.
Famous Poems
- The Cathedral
- The Weaver Bird
- Across a New Dawn
- A Call
- On the Gallows Once
- Lament of the Silent Sister
- Had Death Not Had Me in Tears
- Songs of Sorrow
- First Circle
- A Death Foretold
Understanding His Works
Many people say that Kofi Awoonor wrote many of his poems as if he was thinking about his own death. He was a very special writer who worked hard to bring his family history and culture into his poems. Sometimes, he even used words from the local Ewe language.
Kofi Awoonor was a strong believer in traditional African religion. This was rare for someone so highly educated. He knew that his culture was slowly changing and perhaps disappearing. This feeling might have come through in his poems, making it seem like he was writing about his own end.
Besides talking about personal and cultural sadness, Awoonor also criticized Western influences. He felt that Western religions, social ideas, and economic ways were harming African people. He often wrote about how Africans eagerly adopted these new things. He believed this led to a loss of cultural identity and self-respect. He often used his Ewe culture to look at these issues in his writings.
