Ama Ata Aidoo
Encyclopedia
Professor Ama Ata Aidoo, née Christina Ama Aidoo (born March 23, 1942, Saltpond
) is a Ghana
ian author
and playwright
.
in Cape Coast
from 1961 to 1964. The headmistress of Wesley Girls bought her her first typewriter. After leaving high school, she enrolled at the University of Ghana
in Legon and received her bachelor of arts
in English
as well as writing her first play, The Dilemma of a Ghost, in 1964. The play was published by Longman the following year, making Aidoo the first published African woman dramatist.
She worked in the United States of America where she held a fellowship in creative writing at Stanford University
. She also served as a research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana
, and as a Lecturer in English at the University of Cape Coast
, eventually rising there to the position of Professor.
Aside from her literary career, Aidoo was appointed Minister of Education under the Provisional National Defence Council
in 1982. She resigned after 18 months. She has also spent a great deal of time teaching and living abroad for months at a time. She has lived in America, Britain
, Germany
, and Zimbabwe
. She is currently a Visiting Professor in the Africana Studies Department at Brown University
.
Aidoo's works of fiction particularly deal with the tension between Western
and Africa
n world views. Many of her protagonists are women who defy the stereotypical women's roles of their time. Her novel
Changes, won the 1992 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
for Best Book (Africa). She is also an accomplished poet
, and has written several children's books
.
Saltpond
Saltpond is the capital of the Mfantseman Municipal District in the Central Region of Ghana.-Economy:Saltpond is noted for offshore oil resources...
) is a Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
.
Life
She grew up in a Fante royal household, the daughter of Nana Yaw Fama, chief of Abeadzi Kyiakor, and Maame Abasema. She was sent by her father to the Wesley Girls' High SchoolWesley Girls' High School
Wesley Girl’s High school, Ghana, is an educational institution for girls, was named after the founder of Methodism, John Wesley. The school was established in 1836 with 25 girls by the wife of a Methodist Minister. It started as a primary school with the aim of offering girls training in reading...
in Cape Coast
Cape Coast
Cape Coast, or Cabo Corso, is the capital of the Central Region of Ghana and is also the capital city of the Fante people, or Mfantsefo. It is situated 165 km west of Accra on the Gulf of Guinea. It has a population of 82,291 . From the 16th century the city has changed hands between the...
from 1961 to 1964. The headmistress of Wesley Girls bought her her first typewriter. After leaving high school, she enrolled at the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
in Legon and received her bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as well as writing her first play, The Dilemma of a Ghost, in 1964. The play was published by Longman the following year, making Aidoo the first published African woman dramatist.
She worked in the United States of America where she held a fellowship in creative writing at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. She also served as a research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
, and as a Lecturer in English at the University of Cape Coast
University of Cape Coast
The University of Cape Coast, Ghana, is one of the rare sea-front universities in the world. The university was established in 1962 out of a dire need for highly qualified and skilled manpower in education and was affiliated to the University of Ghana...
, eventually rising there to the position of Professor.
Aside from her literary career, Aidoo was appointed Minister of Education under the Provisional National Defence Council
Provisional National Defence Council
The Provisional National Defence Council was the name of the Ghanaian government after the People's National Party's elected government was overthrown by Jerry Rawlings, the former head of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council. This was on December 31, 1981. It remained in power until January 7,...
in 1982. She resigned after 18 months. She has also spent a great deal of time teaching and living abroad for months at a time. She has lived in America, Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
. She is currently a Visiting Professor in the Africana Studies Department at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
.
Aidoo's works of fiction particularly deal with the tension between Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n world views. Many of her protagonists are women who defy the stereotypical women's roles of their time. Her novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Changes, won the 1992 Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Commonwealth Writers is an initiative by the Commonwealth Foundation to unearth, develop and promote the best new fiction from across the Commonwealth. It's flagship are two literary awards and a website...
for Best Book (Africa). She is also an accomplished poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and has written several children's books
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
.
Works
- The Dilemma of a Ghost, Longman's, 1965
- Anowa (a play based on a Ghanaian legend), 1970
- No Sweetness Here: A Collection of Short Stories, 1970
- Birds and Other Poems, 1988
- The Girl Who Can and Other Stories, 1997
- Our Sister Killjoy, 1977
- Changes: A Love StoryChanges: a Love StoryChanges: a Love Story is a 1991 novel by Ama Ata Aidoo, chronicling a period of the life of a career-centered African woman as she divorces her first husband and marries into a polygamist union. It was published by the Feminist Press.- Characters :...
(novel), 1991 - The Dilemma of a Ghost, 1965
- Someone Talking to Sometime (a poetry collection), 1986
- An Angry Letter in January (poems), 1992
- The Eagle and the Chicken, 1986
- Birds and Other Poems, 1987
- Changes, 1991
External links
- full-text, searchable works from Black Drama database
- AIDOO, Ama Ata International Who's Who. accessed September 1, 2006.
- Ama Ata Aidoo - Her Story on BBC World ServiceBBC World ServiceThe BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...