Meshack Asare
Encyclopedia
Meshack Asare is a popular African children's author
. He was born in Ghana
and currently resides in Degenfeld, Germany
.
citation, "Best picture book from Africa."
After a period of ten years wherein which he could not publish any work, Asare returned in 1981 with a new book, The Brassman's Secret, which was translated into many languages, and won the Noma Award
in 1982 as the best book published in Africa in the preceding year.
Many further successes followed. Asare moved to London in 1983, and this has been his base ever since, though he frequently travels through Africa, looking to experience as many African cultures as possible so that he can represent them in his works. His book, Sosu’s Call, was the winner of the 1999 UNESCO First Prize for Children’s and Young People’s Literature in the Service of Tolerance.
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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:...
. He was born in 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...
and currently resides in Degenfeld, 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...
.
Life
Asare studied Fine Arts at the College of Art in Kumasi, and between 1967 and 1979 he was a teacher in Ghana. During this time he began to write and illustrate children's books, including the much translated Tawia Goes to Sea, which also received the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
citation, "Best picture book from Africa."
After a period of ten years wherein which he could not publish any work, Asare returned in 1981 with a new book, The Brassman's Secret, which was translated into many languages, and won the Noma Award
Noma Award
The Noma Award for Publishing in Africa is a $10,000 prize for outstanding African writers and scholars who publish in Africa. Established in 1979, the award is annual and given to any new book published in three categories: literature, juvenile and scholarly...
in 1982 as the best book published in Africa in the preceding year.
Many further successes followed. Asare moved to London in 1983, and this has been his base ever since, though he frequently travels through Africa, looking to experience as many African cultures as possible so that he can represent them in his works. His book, Sosu’s Call, was the winner of the 1999 UNESCO First Prize for Children’s and Young People’s Literature in the Service of Tolerance.
Selected bibliography
- Noma's Sand: A Tale from Lesotho (Children's Literature, Sub Saharan Publishers, 2002)
- Meliga's Day (Children's Literature, Sub Saharan Publishers, 2000)
- Nana's Son (Children's Literature, Sub Saharan Publishers, 2000)
- Sosu's Call (Children's Literature, Sub-Saharan Publishers, 1997)
- The Magic Goat (Children's Literature, Sub Saharan Publishers, 1997)
- Halima (Children's Literature, Macmillan, 1992)
- Bury my bones but keep my words: African tales for retelling (Short stories, Harper Collins, 1991)
- Cat in search of a friend (Children's Literature, Jungbrunnen, 1984)
- Chipo and the bird on the hill: A tale of ancient Zimbabwe (Children's Literature, Zimbabwe Publishing house, 1984)
- The Brassman's secret (Children's Literature, Education Press, 1981)
- Tawia goes to Sea (Children's Literature, Ghana Publishers, 1970)
- Mansa helps at home (Children's Literature, Ghana Publishers, 1969)
- I am Kofi (Children's Literature, Ghana Publishers, 1968)
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