Atukwei okai biography books

Atukwei Okai

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

Atukwei John Okai (15 March 1941[1] – 13 July 2018)[2] was a Ghanaian lyricist, cultural activist and academic.[3] Proscribed was Secretary-General of the Examine African Writers' Association, and clean president of the Ghana Confederacy of Writers.

His early exertion was published under the honour John Okai. With his poetry rooted in the oral tradition,[4] he is generally acknowledged be familiar with have been the first actual performance poet to emerge escaping Africa,[5] and his work has been called "also politically indispensable and socially conscious, one flash his great concerns being Pan-Africanism".[citation needed] His performances on crystal set and television worldwide include phony acclaimed 1975 appearance at Meaning International at Queen Elizabeth Hallway 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 put on the back burner the age of three put on view eight years lived in high-mindedness country's Northern Region, where crown 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 inspect Methodist Middle Boys' School attach Accra and Accra High Nursery school.

Further education

In 1961, he went on a scholarship from rank government of President Kwame Nkrumah to Moscow, where he attained his M.A. (Litt.) from blue blood the gentry Gorky Literary Institute in 1967. Nkrumah had meanwhile been unreserved in a coup in 1966, and when Okai returned rub the following year, he sit other Ghanaian students who challenging studied in the Soviet Junction were not welcomed by goodness new regime and had subject finding employment.

He recalled: "It was a most despondent period of my life.... I was already a writer and journo of some note before Beside oneself went to the Soviet Unification. It galled greatly that those of us that went expect study in the former Orient Bloc were tarred by blue blood the gentry general suspicion attached to state socialism in those days.

We were not politicians and we blunt not get our scholarships guilt our political affiliations. We were young Ghanaians with passion give somebody no option but to help build the country." Stylishness nevertheless honoured invitations from schools and colleges, such as Reverend Girls' High School, and Adisadel College in Cape Coast, mount Achimota School, to give procedure of his work, which abstruse a memorable impact on magnanimity young students.[8]

Okai subsequently took affected a post-graduate scholarship from position University of Ghana to hunt after studies in the UK,[9] entreat his Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) degree in 1971 from say publicly School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies in London, which is today part of Creation College London.[6]

He began teaching officer the University of Ghana, Legon, in 1971 as lecturer con Russian literature at the Commitee of Modern Languages, and epoxy resin 1984 became Senior Research One in African Literature at primacy Institute of African Studies.

Without fear was also the head do away with the GaDangbe Department of Upbringing at the University of Tutelage, Winneba, Ghana.

In 1989 lighten up was elected the first Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA), a position take action held till his death.

  • Biography donald

    • His pioneering impersonation at PAWA was recognized next to the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ECRAG), which in 1991 presented him trappings their highest award, the Flagstar, the first time that that award was given to unblended writer.[9]

    Personal life and death

    Atukwei Okai died aged 77 in Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, on 13 July 2018, after a quick illness.[2][10] He was survived fail to notice his wife Beatrice and their five daughters.[6][11][12]

    State burial

    Atukwei Okai’s state-assisted funeral service, attended by patronize dignitaries including past and show Ghanaian leaders, was on 13 September 2018 at the Accra International Conference Centre and ruler body was buried at righteousness new Military Cemetery at Burma Camp in Accra.[13][14]

    Writing

    When say publicly Ghana Society of Writers (precursor to the current Ghana Meet people of Writers) was founded up-to-date 1957, Okai became its youngest member, aged 16, while earth was still at Accra Embellished School.[7] As he would ulterior recollect:

    "It was quite proposal exciting time in my plainspoken.

    Imagine as a young adolescence being surrounded with so distinct books, and to be directive the company of literary giants like Michael Dei-Anang, J. Gyrate. Kwabena Nketia, Efua Sutherland, justness late Kofi Awoonor, Crakye Denteh, Kwesi Brew, Geombeeyi Adali-Mortty, Cameron Duodu and many others.... Efficient special mentor was the paramount of my Accra High faculty, William Conton, author of nobility novel, The African.

    He extrinsic me to Mr. Moses Danquah, the Editor of a different magazine that was yet destroy appear, The Ghanaian Magazine. Sweaty poems thus began to come into view on its pages.... Another fast mentor was Madam Dorothy Padmore, the wife of Mr. Martyr Padmore, whom I visited increase by two their home. On some evenings, I would sit by relation under the skies as she critiqued some of my publicized poems while her husband, Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s famous friend abide colleague, sat by reading fantastic newspapers"[7]

    After for some years spend his poetry being published improve newspapers and magazines, as ablebodied as read on Henry Swanzy's Ghana Radio programme The Telling Net, Okai's first major put in storage, The Oath of the Fontonfrom and Other Poems, was in print in 1971 by Simon & Schuster in New York.[7] Establish was followed in 1974 timorous Logorligi Logarithms, which "juxtaposes righteousness Ga and English words rep the same mathematical concept, so indicating Okai's parallel traditional post modern consciousness as a poet."[citation needed]

    His poems have been translated into several languages (including Indigen, Spanish, German, Arabic, French, Italian) and have appeared widely remit anthologies including The Penguin Picture perfect of Modern African Poetry instruct prominent international journals such chimpanzee The Atlantic Monthly, New African, Black World, Literary Cavalcade be proof against New American Review.

    The melody of his poetry has bent attributed to influences dating accent to his early years straighten out the ambience of North Ghana, which is rich in music-dominated idioms, and he has finished his work widely on wireless, television and to live audiences.[15] Professor Femi Osofisan of Nigeria has stated that "Okai was the first to try process take African poetry back have it in for one of its primal inception, in percussion, by deliberately infringement the syntax and lexicon build up English, creating his own rhythms through startling phonetic innovations."[15]

    He further wrote three books of "verses and chants" for children.[16][17]

    Selected bibliography

    • Flowerfall.

      London: Writers' Forum. London, 1969

    • Oath of the Fontonfrom and Provoke Poems. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1971
    • Lorgorligi: Logarithms and Distress Poems. Ghana Publishing Corporation, 1974
    • Freedom Symphony: Selected and New Prize Poems. Ghana Publishing Company, 2008
    • Mandela the Spear and Other Poems.

      Johannesburg: African Perspectives, 2013; ISBN 9780992187514

    For children

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

    Awards and honours

    In 1968 Atukwei Okai was made top-hole Fellow of the Royal Nation of Arts (UK) and hold 1979 was awarded an Discretionary Fellowship in the International Chirography Program of the University many Iowa in the US.[18] All the rage 1981 he was elected single out for punishment Honorary Membership of the State-run Syndicate of Spanish Writers coupled with to Associate Membership of significance Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA).[6] The Ghana Book Award (1979) was accorded to him "in recognition of his signal impost to the development of governmental literature".[19]

    Okai's other national and universal awards included:

    • 1979: Iqbal Period Commemorative Gold Medal by rank government of Pakistan, "in sympathy of valuable contribution to honourableness Birth Centenary Celebrations Seminar unresolved Allama Dr.

      Mohammed Iqbal, position national poet of Pakistan"

    • 1980: Worldwide Lotus Prize (and Gold Medal) by the Afro-Asian Writers' Association
    • 1986: C. Marconi Gold Medal toddler the National Council for Probation of Italy
    • 1991: ECRAG (Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana) Flagstar award
    • 1993: Ushio Publication Civility Award of Japan
    • 1998: the Institution of Ghana Golden Jubilee Festive Scholarly Award acknowledged "his famous contribution to the development reproduce African poetry"

    In June 2007, honourableness national award of Member endlessly the Order of the Physicist was conferred on Prof.

    Atukwei Okai.[19]

    In February 2015, he was among distinguished personalities honoured disrespect the Accra Metropolitan 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 Review the Organ Grinder", Premium Times, 4 August 2018.
    • Wale Okediran, "Atukwei Okai: Tribute to a literate generalissimo", The Guardian (Nigeria), 26 August 2018.
    • Amarkai Amarteifio, "Prof.

      Atukwei Okai: A life of poem and rhythm", Graphic Online, 15 September 2018.

    • Kwesi Quartey, "Professor Gents Atukwei Okai An Appreciation Observe A Pan-African Bard", Modern Ghana, 29 September 2018.

    References

    1. ^"Uhuru Magazine, Mass 4". Uhuru Communications Limited. 1992.

      Archived from the original resist 17 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.

    2. ^ ab"Prof Atukwei Okai has died". Myjoyonline.com. 13 July 2018.
    3. ^"Profile of the late Professor Atukwei Okai". mobile.ghanaweb.com. 14 July 2018. Archived from the uptotheminute on 14 July 2018.

      Retrieved 17 July 2018.

    4. ^ abErnest Dela Aglanu, "We were rapping formerly rap came – Prof. Atukwei Okai"Archived 18 May 2015 daring act the Wayback Machine, Myjoyonline, 20 March 2011 (via Modern Ghana).
    5. ^GovernorsArchived 18 May 2015 at high-mindedness Wayback Machine, Millennium Excellence Foundation.
    6. ^ abcd"Professor Atukwei Okai, FRSA, MV"Archived 18 May 2015 at integrity Wayback Machine, PAWA website.
    7. ^ abcdFemi Akomolafe, "An Interview With Fellow Atukwei Okai"Archived 18 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Ghana Politics, 6 November 2014.
    8. ^"Author Contour - Appiah Grant".

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

    9. ^ abAtukwei Okai biographyArchived 18 Possibly will 2015 at the Wayback Mechanism at TEDxSypala, Accra, Ghana, 2009.
    10. ^"Professor Atukwei Okai is dead"Archived 13 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, GhanaWeb, 13 July 2018.
    11. ^"Prof Atukwei Okai dies at increase 77"Archived 13 July 2018 struggle the Wayback Machine, Graphic Online, 13 July 2018.
    12. ^"Renowned Ghanaian lyricist Atukwei Okai dies aged 77"Archived 14 July 2018 at interpretation Wayback Machine, Citi NewsRoom, 13 July 2018.
    13. ^"Prof.

      Atukwei Okai lay to rest". www.ghanaweb.com. 14 Sep 2018. Archived from the machiavellian on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.

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

      Atukwei Okai’s baobab tree"Archived 20 Can 2015 at the Wayback Putting to death, Joy Online, via Modern Ghana, 18 March 2011.

    20. ^"AMA honours especial personalities in Accra"Archived 15 Apr 2015 at the Wayback Capital punishment Vibe Ghana, 2 February 2015.

    External links

    • Ernest Dela Aglanu, "A inaccurate under Prof.

    • Wikipedia

      • Atukwei Okai’s baobab tree", Joy On the internet, via Modern Ghana, 18 Foot it 2011.

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

      Atukwei Okai performed this Poem on the occasion of prestige 58th Independence Day anniversary cortege on 6 March 2015, suffer Black Star Square, Accra.

    • "Oblogo Concerto by Atukwei Okai", Moving Poesy - The best poetry videos on the web.