Ayi Kwei Armah

**Ayi Kwei Armah** (born 28 October 1939) be Ghanaian writer wey people know am well for ein novels like *The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born* (1968), *Two Thousand Seasons* (1973) den *The Healers* (1978). He be essayist too, plus he write poetry, short stories, den books for children.

## Early life den education
Dem born Ayi Kwei Armah for Sekondi-Takoradi, one port city for Ghana, to Fante-speaking parents. Ein poppie side people be royal family wey come from de Ga nation. From 1953 go 1958, Armah go Prince of Wales College (wey now dem dey call Achimota School), den he win scholarship go study for United States, where he dey between 1959 den 1963. He go Groton School for Groton, MA, den later Harvard University, where he take sociology degree. After dat, he move go Algeria wey he work as translator for de magazine *Révolution Africaine*. For 1964, he return Ghana wey he be scriptwriter for Ghana Television den later teach English for Navrongo Secondary School.

Between 1967 den 1968, he be editor for *Jeune Afrique* magazine for Paris. From 1968 go 1970, Armah study for Columbia University, where he get ein MFA for creative writing. Ein work for New York "on ein second" novel plus oda writings get support from "one grant" from de Farfield Foundation, wey be CIA front wey support plenty African artists plus writers. Insyd de 1970s, he work as teacher for East Africa, for de College of National Education, Chang'ombe, Tanzania, plus for de National University of Lesotho. After dat, he teach for University of Massachusetts for Amherst, Cornell University, plus University of Wisconsin–Madison. Since de 1980s, he dey live for Dakar, Senegal.

Insyd de village of Popenguine, wey dey about 70 km from Dakar, he build ein own publishing house, Per Ankh: de African Publication Collective, thru dis place now ein own books dey come out.

## Publications
As Armah start ein writing career for de 1960s, he publish poems plus short stories for *Okyeame* magazine for Ghana, den inside *Harper's Magazine*, *The Atlantic Monthly*, plus *New African*. Ein first novel, *The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born*, come out for 1968, den e talk about one man wey no get name wey dey struggle to balance einself plus de reality of post-independence Ghana.

Insyd *Fragments* (1970), de main character, Baako, be “been-to” – one man wey go United States go learn. As he come back Ghana, dem dey see am like person wey get spiritual link to Western lifestyle. Baako ein grandmother, Naana, wey be blind-seer, get living connection plus demma ancestors. Because of de pressure from expectations wey no get fulfilment, Baako finally break down. Just like how e be for ein first novel, Armah show contrast between two different worlds – one wey dey chase material things and corruption, den de other one wey dey hold moral values, dreams, integrity plus social pressure.

*Why Are We So Blest?* (1972) set mainly for one American university, den e focus on one student, Modin Dofu, wey drop out from Harvard. Modin dey disappointed plus e dey tear between independence den Western values. He meet one Portuguese Black African wey ein name be Solo, wey already go through mental breakdown, plus one white American girl, Aimée Reitsch. Solo, wey be rejected writer, dey keep diary, wey be de main thing for de novel. Aimée ein cold-hearted way plus dedication to revolution go end for disaster, as Modin die for desert top by OAS revolutionaries.

De trans-Atlantic den African slave trade na wetin Armah ein *Two Thousand Seasons* (1973) dey talk about, wey one collective communal voice dey speak through de history of Africa, ein wet seasons den dry seasons, over one thousand years. Arab den European oppressors dem dey show as "predators", "destroyers", den "zombies". De novel dey use allegorical tone, den e dey move from autobiographical plus realistic details go deep philosophical reflections, wey e dey talk say new age dey come.

*The Healers* (1978) mix fact plus fiction about how de Ashanti Empire fall. De healers wey dem talk about be traditional medicine people wey dem dey see dis unity problem as de deadly disease wey dey kill Africa.

Armah keep quiet as novelist for long time till 1995, wey e bring *Osiris Rising*, wey dey show one radical educational reform group wey bring ancient Egypt come center of demma curriculum.

Armah belong plus de generation of African writers wey come after Chinua Achebe den Wole Soyinka. People dey talk say Armah ein work "be symbol of one era of deep hopelessness." Especially ein later work dey bring strong reactions from plenty critics. *Two Thousand Seasons* some people dey talk say e bore plus e too long, or say e be product of “philosophy of paranoia, one anti-racist racism – in short, Negritude wey come back.” But Wole Soyinka write say Armah ein vision "free itself from foreign philosophies as e dey find one unifying, harmonizing ideal for distinct humanity."

As essay writer too, Armah dey talk about de identity den de condition Africa dey insyd. Ein main concern be how we go fit build one pan-African body wey go fit hold all de different cultures plus languages for de continent. Armah dey support make we adopt Kiswahili as de language for all Africa.

## Bibliography dem select
**Novels**

* *The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born* (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1968; London: Heinemann Educational Books, 1969, ; HEB paperback reprint, 1989, )
* *Fragments* (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1970; London: Heinemann Educational Books, 1974; HEB paperback reprint, 1975, )
* *Why Are We So Blest?* (New York: Doubleday, 1972; London: Heinemann Educational Books, 1974; HEB paperback reprint, 1985, )
* *Two Thousand Seasons* (Nairobi: East African Publishing House, 1973; London: Heinemann Educational Books, 1979; Chicago: Third World Press, 1979)
* *The Healers* (Nairobi: East African Publishing House, 1978; London: Heinemann Educational Books, 1979, ; Popenguine, Senegal: Per Ankh, 2000)
* *Osiris Rising* (Popenguine, Senegal: Per Ankh, 1995)
* *KMT: The House of Life* (2002)
* *The Resolutionaries* (Per Ankh, 2013)

**For children**

* *Hieroglyphics for Babies*, Per Ankh, 2002 (with Aboubacry Mousa Lam)

**Non-fiction**

* *The Eloquence of the Scribes: A Memoir on the Sources and Resources of African Literature*, Popenguine, Senegal: Per Ankh, 2006
* *Remembering the Dismembered Continent* (essays), Per Ankh, 2010.

## References


## External links

* Daniele Nunziata, "Ayi Kwei Armah", at writersinspire.org, 21 May 2021.
* Molara Ogundipe, "A Sunday afternoon with Ayi Kwei Armah", *The Liberator Magazine*, August 2002.
* "An Evening with Ayi Kwei Armah (excerpt from transcript)", Assata Shakur Speaks.