Kofi Awoonor

**Kofi Awoonor** (wɔwoo no **George Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor-Williams** ;a  ɔtenaa ase fi afe13 March 1935 – 21 September 2013) yɛ Ghana anwensɛm kyerɛwfo ne ɔkyerɛwfo a n’adwuma ka ne kurom Ewefo anwensɛm atetesɛm ne nnɛyi ne nyamesom agyiraehyɛde boom de yɛɛ Afrika ho mfonini wɔ "decolonization" bere mu. Ɔhyɛɛ ase kyerɛw n'edin **George Awoonor-Williams**, na wɔsan tintim no sɛ **Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor.** Ɔkyerɛɛ Afrika nhoma wɔ University of Ghana mu. Ɔbenfo Awoonor ka wɔn a wokum wɔn wɔ September 2013 ntua a ɛkɔɔ so wɔ Westgate aguadidan mu wɔ Nairobi, Kenya, baabi a na ɔde ne ho hyɛɛ Storymoja Hay Afahyɛ no ase no ho.

## N'asetena mu nsɛm
Wɔwoo George Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor-Williams wɔ Wheta, wɔ Frao mantam (Volta Region) mu wɔ Gold Coast, ɛnnɛ Ghana. Na ɔno ne panyin wɔ n'awofo mmofra 10 mu. Na ɔyɛ Awoonor-Williams abusua a wofi Sierra Leone Creole abusua mu no agya aseni. Ɔsuaa ade wɔ Achimota Sukuu mu na afei ɔkɔɔ Ghana Suapɔn mu, na ɔwiee sukuu wɔ afe 1960.  Bere a na ɔwɔ sukuupɔn mu no ɔkyerɛw n’anwensɛm nhoma a edi kan, *Rediscovery*, a wotintimii wɔ 1964 mu. Te sɛ n’adwuma a aka no, *Rediscovery* gyina Afrikafo anwensɛm a wɔde ano ka so. Ne kurom Ewefo nnwom ne nkyekyem na ɛkanyan ne mfitiase nnwuma,  na akyiri yi otintim Ewefo awerɛhow nnwontofo baasa adwuma nkyerɛase ahorow ( *Guardians of the Sacred Word: Ewe Poetry*, 1973).

Bere a Awoonor wiee sukuu no, ɔyɛɛ adwuma wɔ Ghana Film Corporation, ankyɛ na ɔbɛyɛɛ ɛhɔ sohwɛfo, na ɔboa ma wɔhyehyɛɛ Ghana Playhouse, ɔkɔɔ so dii dwuma titiriw wɔ agoprama ne drama nkɔso mu wɔ ɔman no mu. Wɔ afe 1960 no mu no, ɔhwɛɛ nhoma ho nsɛmma nhoma *Okyeame so* na na ɔyɛ *Transition Magazine* samufo boafo.

Ɔyɛɛ adwuma sɛ Ghanaman srafo wɔ aman afoforo mu, anwensɛm kyerɛwfo, nhoma ho ɔkasatiafo, ne nhoma ntotoho ho ɔbenfo nso. Awoonor nyaa BA wɔ University College of Ghana.

Ɔtoa sukuupɔn so wɔ nhomamu adesuaho wɔ University College London (MA, 1970),  na bere a ɔwɔ England no, ɔkyerɛw radio so agodi ahodow bi maa BBC, na saa bere no na ɔfii ase de edin Kofi Awoonor dii dwuma.

Mbosome a ɛhyɛ ase wɔ afe 1970 mu no, ɔtenaa Amerika, suaa ade na ɔkyerɛɛ ade wɔ Stony Brook Suapɔn (saa berɛ no na wɔfrɛ no SUNY wɔ Stony Brook) baabi a ɔnyaa ne Phd wɔ afe 1972. Bere a ɔwɔ United States no ɔkyerɛw *This Earth, My Brother* ne *Night of My Blood*, nhoma abien no nyinaa a wotintimii wɔ 1971 mu.

Awoonor san baa Ghana wɔ afe 1975 mu sɛ Brɔfo kasa dwumadibea panyin wɔ Cape Coast Sukuupɔn mu . Wɔ asram kakraa bi mu no, wɔkyeree no sɛ ɔboaa ɔsraani bi a wɔbɔɔ no sobo sɛ ɔrebɔ mmɔden sɛ obetu asraafo nniso no agu, na wɔde no too afiase a wɔanni n’asɛm; Akyiri yi wogyaee Awoonor bere a wogyaee n’afiasenna wɔ October 1976.  *The House by the Sea* (1978) no fa bere a wɔde no too afiase no ho. Bere a wɔde no too afiase akyi no, ɔbɛyɛɛ obi a ɔyɛ amammuisɛm. Ɔkɔɔ so kyerɛw nsɛm a ɛnyɛ ayɛsɛm dodow no ara.

Awoonor anwensɛm a edi kan no fɛm Ewefo atetesɛm a wɔde ano ka no mu, na na ne nanabea yɛ Ewefo awerɛhow odwontofo. Wɔ ne nhoma Guardians of the *Sacred Word and Ewe Poetry* mu no, ɔkyerɛɛ Ewefo anwensɛm ase wɔ nkyerɛase mu *(1974)* . *Asase Nufu: Afrika Abakɔsɛm, Amammerɛ, ne Nhoma Ho Adesua wɔ Sahara Anafo fam yɛ nhoma foforo (1975).*

Awoonor yɛɛ Ghana ananmusini wɔ Brazil fi afe 1984 kɔsi afe 1988, ansa na ɔresom sɛ ne man ananmusini wɔ Cuba.  Efi afe 1990 kosi afe 1994 no na Awoonor yɛ Ghana Daa Ananmusifo wɔ Amanaman Nkabom no mu,  baabi a odii boayikuw a wɔko tia nnipa mu nyiyim no anim .  Ɔsan nso yɛ Ɔman Bagua mu panyin,  a ɛyɛ Ghana ɔmampanyin afotuo titire no titenani, na ɔsom wɔ saa dibea no mu fii afe 2009 kɔsi Ɔpɛpɔn 2013.

## Ne wu
Wɔ 21 September 2013 no, na Awoonor ka wɔn a wokum wɔn wɔ ntua a ɛkɔɔ so wɔ Westgate aguadidan mu wɔ Nairobi no ho . Na ɔwɔ Kenya sɛ obi a ɔde ne ho hyɛɛ Storymoja Hay Afahyɛ, nnanan afahyɛ a ɛfa akyerɛw, nsusuwii ne abasɛm a wɔka ho, a na ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ne dwumadi wɔ ne wu anwummere no mu. Ne nua barima Nii Parkes, a na ɔrekɔ nhomakyerɛw afahyɛ koro no ara ase no akyerɛw nea edi kan a ohyiaa no saa da no ho asɛm. Ghana aban no sii Awoonor wuo no so dua da a edi hɔ no. Wɔtoo ne babarima Afetsi Awoonor a na ɔka ne ho no nso tuo, nanso akyiri yi woyii no fii ayaresabea.

Wɔde Awoonor amu no fii Nairobi kɔɔ Accra, Ghana, wɔ 25 September 2013.

Wɔhyew ne funu na wosiee no wɔ beae pɔtee bi wɔ ne kurom wɔ Wheta wɔ Volta Mantam mu . Afei nso na osu anaa awerɛhow biara nni n’ayi ase ne nyinaa sɛnea n’apɛde te ansa na ɔrewu.

## Nnwuma

; Anwensɛm

* *Rediscovery ne Anwensɛm Afoforo* (Mbari Publications, 1964) 
* *Night of My Blood* (Doubleday, 1971) – anwensɛm a ɛhwehwɛ Awoonor fibea mu, ne nkɛntɛnso a amannɔne nniso nyaa wɔ Afrika  
* *Ofie a Ɛwɔ Po no Ho* (Greenfield Review Press, 1978) .
* *Anidasoɔ Bɔhyɛ: Anwensɛm Foforo ne Nea Wɔapaw* (Amalion / University of Nebraska Press, 2014) 
* Te Me So, Nkae (1973)

; Ayɛsɛm nhoma ahorow

* *Asase yi, Me Nua (This Earth, My Brother)* (Doubleday, 1971) – ayɛsɛm ne anwensɛm ntam mmeamudua  
* *Akwantufo no Ba Awiei koraa* (Africa World Press, 1992) (*Comes the Voyager at Last*)

; Ɛnyɛ ayɛsɛm

* *Asase Nufu: Afrika Abakɔsɛm, Amammerɛ, ne Nwoma Ho Nhwehwɛmu a Wɔyɛe wɔ Sahara Kesee Fam* (Anchor Press, 1975)
* *Ghana: Amanyɔsɛm mu Abakɔsɛm a efi Europa ansa na Europa reba kosi Nnɛyi Mmere so* (Sedco, 1990) .
* *Afrika Ahokyere: Nsɛm a Wɔaboaboa Ano* (Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2006)

**Anwensɛm ahorow**

* *Asɔredan Kɛse no*
* *Anomaa a Ɔwe Nwene*
* *Across A New Dawn*
* *Ɔfrɛ bi*
* *Wɔ Gallows no so Pɛnkoro*
* *Kwadwom a Ɛfa Onuabaa a Ɔyɛ Komm Ho*
* *Na Owu Na Na Me Nsu*
* *Awerɛhow Nnwom*
* *Kwansin a Edi Kan*
* *Owu bi a Wɔhyɛɛ Siei*

## Ne nnwuma ho ntease ne nkyerɛase
Wɔkyerɛ sɛ Awoonor kyerɛw n’anwensɛm dodow no bi te sɛ nea ɔreyɛ n’ankasa owu ho mfoni wɔ n’adwene mu. Nanso ɔyɛ ɔkyerɛwfo soronko, obi a ɔbɔ mmɔden, ɛkame ayɛ sɛ ɔyɛ den dodo, sɛ ɔde ne nananom ne n’amammerɛ bɛba n’anwensɛm mu, na ɛtɔ mmere bi mpo a ɔfɛm nsɛmfua fi mpɔtam hɔ Ewe kasa mu. Esiane sɛ na ɔyɛ obi a ɔyɛ den na n’ani gye atetesɛm som ho nti, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ na ɔyɛ obi a ɔyɛ nkaefo. Titiriw wɔ obi a osua nhoma kɛse saa fam no, na ɛyɛ ade a ɛntaa nsi mpo. Saa nimdeɛ no, ɛnyɛ sɛ na ɔyɛ nkae nhwɛsode sɛ ankorankoro nko, na mmom sɛ amammerɛ no nyinaa rehu amane wɔ entropy ho no, betumi nam n’anwensɛm ahorow so aba wɔ ɔkwan bi so a mfiase no ɛbɛkyerɛ sɛ ɔrekyerɛw ne wu awiei ho asɛm. Sɛ ankorankoro ne amammerɛ mu kwadwom no da nkyɛn a, Awoonor nso de anifere kasa tiaa nea anka obebu no sɛ Atɔe Famfo nkɛntɛnso ahorow (nyamesom ahorow, asetra mu nhyehyɛe ne sikasɛm mu nyansapɛ) a asɛe wɔ Afrikafo nyinaa abakɔsɛm ne wɔn ahonyade ho no. Na ɔbɛkasa atia anigye a wonsusuw ho a Afrikafo ankasa de gyee nneɛma a ɛtete saa toom no, na ɔde nkakrankakra yɛɛ nea anka obebu no sɛ ɛyɛ ne ho a wɔsɛe no a ɛkɔ akyiri koraa sen amammerɛ mu nipasu a wɔhwere no. Na ɔtaa yɛ ne nkyerɛwee ahorow no de hwɛ saa nneɛma yi denam n’ankasa Ewefo amammerɛ ahwehwɛ so.

## Akenkan a ɛkɔ akyiri

* Robert Fraser, *Afrika Atɔe Fam Anwensɛm: Abakɔsɛm a Ɛho Hia*, Cambridge Sukuupɔn Nsɛmma Nhoma Tintimbea (1986), . 
* Kwame Anthony Appiah ne Henry Louis Gates (eds), *Africana: Afrikafo ne Afrika Amerikafo Osuahu Ho Nsɛmma Nhoma*, Basic Civitas Books (1999), .  – kr.&nbsp;153. Nkyekyɛm.
* Lauret E. Savoy, Eldridge M. Moores ne Judith E. Moores (eds), *Bedrock: Akyerɛwfo a Wɔfa Asase Ho Adesua mu Anwonwade Ho,* ( Trinity Sukuupɔn Nsɛmma Nhoma Tintimbea, 2006).

## Nsɛm a wɔde gyinaa so


## Abɔnten so nkitahodi ahorow

* Amanneɛbɔ a ɛfa Kofi Awoonor wuo ho, 22 Ɔpɛpɔn 2013.
* Paula Kahumbu a ofi Princeton Sukuupɔn mu ne Story Moja Hay Afahyɛ no kwankyerɛfo ka bere a ɔne Awoonor nyae Fida anwummere ansa na ɔrewu no ho asɛm
* Asetra ho nsɛm, KwaZulu-Natal Sukuupɔn.
* Nsɛmbisa, *Sun* atesɛm krataa (Nigeria), 18 June 2006.
* Anwensɛm: Awerɛhow Nnwom a Kofi Awoonor kyerɛwee
* Francis Kwarteng, "Anuonyam a wɔde ma Ɔbenfo. Kofi Awoonor", *VibeGhana*, Ɔpɛpɔn 23, afe 2013.

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