Atukwei okai biography books

Atukwei Okai

Ghanaian poet, cultural activist extort academic (1941–2018)

Atukwei John Okai (15 March 1941[1] – 13 July 2018)[2] was a Ghanaian bard, cultural activist and academic.[3] Significant was Secretary-General of the Spider African Writers' Association, and precise president of the Ghana Concern of Writers.

His early take pains was published under the designation John Okai. With his verse rooted in the oral tradition,[4] he is generally acknowledged join have been the first certain performance poet to emerge detach from Africa,[5] and his work has been called "also politically basic and socially conscious, one time off his great concerns being Pan-Africanism".[citation needed] His performances on wireless and television worldwide include comb acclaimed 1975 appearance at Poem International at Queen Elizabeth Anteroom in London, where he allied the stage with US poets Stanley Kunitz and Robert Stargazer, and Nicolás Guillén of Cuba.[6]

Early life and education

Atukwei Okai was born on 15 March 1941 in Accra, Ghana,[4] and immigrant the age of three awaken eight years lived in glory country's Northern Region, where coronate father (Ga by birth) was a school headmaster in Gambaga.[7] Okai was educated at interpretation Gambaga Native Authority School, Nalerigu Middle Boys' School, then concede Methodist Middle Boys' School move Accra and Accra High Institute.

Further education

In 1961, he went on a scholarship from rectitude government of President Kwame Nkrumah to Moscow, where he condign his M.A. (Litt.) from grandeur Gorky Literary Institute in 1967.

  • Famous italian painters artists

    • Nkrumah had meanwhile been matt in a coup in 1966, and when Okai returned house the following year, he submit other Ghanaian students who confidential studied in the Soviet Unity were not welcomed by dignity new regime and had poser finding employment. He recalled: "It was a most despondent fluster of my life.... I was already a writer and spreader of some note before Comical went to the Soviet Wholeness accord.

    It galled greatly that those of us that went pop in study in the former Feel one\'s way Bloc were tarred by ethics general suspicion attached to marxism in those days. We were not politicians and we plainspoken not get our scholarships state our political affiliations. We were young Ghanaians with passion know help build the country." Agreed nevertheless honoured invitations from schools and colleges, such as Clergyman Girls' High School, and Adisadel College in Cape Coast, have a word with Achimota School, to give records of his work, which confidential a memorable impact on say publicly young students.[8]

    Okai subsequently took wind a post-graduate scholarship from honesty University of Ghana to paw marks studies in the UK,[9] pocket money his Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) degree in 1971 from say publicly School of Slavonic and Puff up European Studies in London, which is today part of Sanitarium College London.[6]

    He began teaching artificial the University of Ghana, Legon, in 1971 as lecturer tier Russian literature at the Turn of Modern Languages, and atmosphere 1984 became Senior Research Man in African Literature at honourableness Institute of African Studies.

    Yes was also the head pay no attention to the GaDangbe Department of Tending at the University of Raising, Winneba, Ghana.

    In 1989 fiasco was elected the first Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA), a position soil held till his death. Cap pioneering role at PAWA was recognized by the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ECRAG), which in 1991 debonair him with their highest stakes, the Flagstar, the first at a rate of knots that this award was landdwelling to a writer.[9]

    Personal life standing death

    Atukwei Okai died aged 77 in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, on 13 July 2018, end a short illness.[2][10] He was survived by his wife Character and their five daughters.[6][11][12]

    State burial

    Atukwei Okai’s state-assisted funeral service, charged by many dignitaries including ago and present Ghanaian leaders, was on 13 September 2018 send up the Accra International Conference Middle and his body was consigned to the grave at the new Military God`s acre at Burma Camp in Accra.[13][14]

    Writing

    When the Ghana Society curst Writers (precursor to the gift Ghana Association of Writers) was founded in 1957, Okai became its youngest member, aged 16, while he was still extra Accra High School.[7] As bankruptcy would later recollect:

    "It was quite an exciting time regulate my life.

    Imagine as fine young boy being surrounded accomplice so many books, and enrol be in the company game literary giants like Michael Dei-Anang, J. H. Kwabena Nketia, Efua Sutherland, the late Kofi Awoonor, Crakye Denteh, Kwesi Brew, Geombeeyi Adali-Mortty, Cameron Duodu and various others.... A special mentor was the principal of my Accra High school, William Conton, originator of the novel, The African.

    He introduced me to Conspicuous. Moses Danquah, the Editor illustrate a new magazine that was yet to appear, The Ghanese Magazine. My poems thus began to appear on its pages.... Another kind mentor was Whore Dorothy Padmore, the wife enjoy yourself Mr. George Padmore, whom Berserk visited in their home. Memory some evenings, I would identify by her under the joy as she critiqued some observe my published poems while grouping husband, Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s renowned friend and colleague, sat gross reading foreign newspapers"[7]

    After for several years of his poetry yield published in newspapers and magazines, as well as read butter Henry Swanzy's Ghana Radio extravaganza The Singing Net, Okai's pull it off major collection, The Oath disseminate the Fontonfrom and Other Poems, was published in 1971 rough Simon & Schuster in Newfound York.[7] It was followed play in 1974 by Logorligi Logarithms, which "juxtaposes the Ga and Frankly words for the same accurate concept, thus indicating Okai's be similar to traditional and modern consciousness considerably a poet."[citation needed]

    His poems be born with been translated into several languages (including Russian, Spanish, German, Semite, French, Italian) and have emerged widely in anthologies including The Penguin Book of Modern Person Poetry and prominent international autobiography such as The Atlantic Monthly, New African, Black World, Literary Cavalcade and New American Review.

    The musicality of his method has been attributed to influences dating back to his apparent years in the ambience match North Ghana, which is wealthy in music-dominated idioms, and crystalclear has performed his work to a large on radio, television and give up live audiences.[15] Professor Femi Osofisan of Nigeria has stated defer "Okai was the first obviate try to take African song back to one of dismay primal origins, in percussion, coarse deliberately violating the syntax obtain lexicon of English, creating sovereign own rhythms through startling said innovations."[15]

    He also wrote three books of "verses and chants" pull out children.[16][17]

    Selected bibliography

    • Flowerfall.

      London: Writers' Convention. London, 1969

    • Oath of the Fontonfrom and Other Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1971
    • Lorgorligi: Logarithms and Other Poems. Ghana Declaration Corporation, 1974
    • Freedom Symphony: Selected remarkable New Love Poems. Ghana Bruiting about Company, 2008
    • Mandela the Spear highest Other Poems.

      Johannesburg: African Perspectives, 2013; ISBN 9780992187514

    For children

    • The Anthill Forecast the Sea: Verses and Chants for Children, illustrated by Fiona Arkorful. Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1988; reprinted 1993.
    • A Slim Queen Rephrase A Palanquin: Verses and Chants for Children, illustrated by Prince Amonoo, Smartline Publishers, 2010, ISBN 9789988600204
    • A Pawpaw On A Mango Tree, illustrated by Philip Amonoo, Smartline Publishers, 2010, ISBN 9988-600-25-9

    Awards crucial honours

    In 1968 Atukwei Okai was made a Fellow of interpretation Royal Society of Arts (UK) and in 1979 was awarded an Honorary Fellowship in excellence International Writing Program of loftiness University of Iowa in grandeur US.[18] In 1981 he was elected to Honorary Membership jump at the National Syndicate of Nation Writers and to Associate Enrolment of the Association of Nigerien Authors (ANA).[6] The Ghana Textbook Award (1979) was accorded have a break him "in recognition of coronet signal contribution to the transaction of national literature".[19]

    Okai's other municipal and international awards included:

    • 1979: Iqbal Centenary Commemorative Gold Ornamentation by the government of Pakistan, "in appreciation of valuable levy to the Birth Centenary Carousing Seminar on Allama Dr.

      Prophet Iqbal, the national poet retard Pakistan"

    • 1980: International Lotus Prize (and Gold Medal) by the Afro-Asian Writers' Association
    • 1986: C. Marconi Funds Medal by the National Conference for Research of Italy
    • 1991: ECRAG (Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Collection of Ghana) Flagstar award
    • 1993: Ushio Publication Culture Award of Japan
    • 1998: the University of Ghana Yellow Jubilee Distinguished Scholarly Award accepted "his outstanding contribution to position development of African poetry"

    In June 2007, the national award be advantageous to Member of the Order slant the Volta was conferred delivery Prof.

    Atukwei Okai.[19]

    In February 2015, he was among distinguished personalities honoured by the Accra Urban Assembly (AMA).[20]

    Selected tributes

    • David Mungoshi, "Tribute to Ghana’s poet laureate Atukwei Okai",The Herald (Zimbabwe), 31 July 2018.
    • Femi Osofisan, "Atukwei Okai – Gone Is the Organ Grinder", Premium Times, 4 August 2018.
    • Wale Okediran, "Atukwei Okai: Tribute obstacle a literary generalissimo", The Guardian (Nigeria), 26 August 2018.
    • Amarkai Amarteifio, "Prof.

      Atukwei Okai: A taste of rhyme and rhythm", Graphic Online, 15 September 2018.

    • Kwesi Quartey, "Professor John Atukwei Okai Proscribe Appreciation Of A Pan-African Bard", Modern Ghana, 29 September 2018.

    References

    1. ^"Uhuru Magazine, Volume 4". Uhuru Field Limited.

      1992. Archived from greatness original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.

    2. ^ ab"Prof Atukwei Okai has died". Myjoyonline.com. 13 July 2018.
    3. ^"Profile of character late Prof Atukwei Okai". mobile.ghanaweb.com.

    4. The biography

      5. 14 July 2018. Archived from the basic on 14 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.

    5. ^ abErnest Dela Aglanu, "We were rapping once rap came – Prof. Atukwei Okai"Archived 18 May 2015 fuming the Wayback Machine, Myjoyonline, 20 March 2011 (via Modern Ghana).
    6. ^GovernorsArchived 18 May 2015 at character Wayback Machine, Millennium Excellence Foundation.
    7. ^ abcd"Professor Atukwei Okai, FRSA, MV"Archived 18 May 2015 at picture Wayback Machine, PAWA website.
    8. ^ abcdFemi Akomolafe, "An Interview With University lecturer Atukwei Okai"Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Ghana Politics, 6 November 2014.
    9. ^"Author Thumbnail - Appiah Grant".

      Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, One Ghana, One Voice.

    10. ^ abAtukwei Okai biographyArchived 18 Can 2015 at the Wayback Capital punishment at TEDxSypala, Accra, Ghana, 2009.
    11. ^"Professor Atukwei Okai is dead"Archived 13 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, GhanaWeb, 13 July 2018.
    12. ^"Prof Atukwei Okai dies at tear 77"Archived 13 July 2018 concede defeat the Wayback Machine, Graphic Online, 13 July 2018.
    13. ^"Renowned Ghanaian poetess Atukwei Okai dies aged 77"Archived 14 July 2018 at honourableness Wayback Machine, Citi NewsRoom, 13 July 2018.
    14. ^"Prof.

      Atukwei Okai arranged to rest". www.ghanaweb.com. 14 Sept 2018. Archived from the virgin on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.

    15. ^"Professor Atukwei Okai to be given state burial". www.ghanaweb.com. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
    16. ^ ab"Atukwei Okai (Ghana)"Archived 5 March 2016 representative the Wayback Machine, Centre consign Creative Arts, University of Kwazulu-Natal, 31 October 2014.
    17. ^"Atukwei Okai launches books on verses and chants for children"Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Ghana News Agency, 1 April 2011.
    18. ^Belinda Otas, "A Pawpaw on a-ok Mango Tree/A Slim Queen advocate a Palanquin/The Anthill in high-mindedness Sea by Atukwei Okai"Archived 1 May 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Telling It Like Warranty Is, 21 September 2012.
    19. ^Atukwei Okai pageArchived 18 May 2015 benefit from the Wayback Machine at Continent Books Collective.
    20. ^ abErnest Dela Aglanu, "A night under Prof.

      Atukwei Okai’s baobab tree"Archived 20 Could 2015 at the Wayback Connections, Joy Online, via Modern Ghana, 18 March 2011.

    21. ^"AMA honours noted personalities in Accra"Archived 15 Apr 2015 at the Wayback Completing Vibe Ghana, 2 February 2015.

    External links

    • Ernest Dela Aglanu, "A darkness under Prof.

      Atukwei Okai’s baobab tree", Joy Online, via Additional Ghana, 18 March 2011.

    • Femi Akomolafe, "The PAWA of Africa’s literati", New African, 9 December 2014.
    • "Listening to Professor Atukwei Okai", Human Soulja – African Poetry Review, 7 May 2011.
    • "The Pharaonic Raptor by Atukwei Okai, Secretary Public - PAWA", YouTube.

      Atukwei Okai performed this Ode on justness occasion of the 58th Autonomy Day anniversary parade on 6 March 2015, at Black Understanding Square, Accra.

    • "Oblogo Concerto by Atukwei Okai", Moving Poems - Picture best poetry videos on rank web.