Changing the world with Literature

I am sitting on one of the chairs in a wide conference room. On the walls of the conference room are pictures of influential Pan African Writers such as Camara Laye, Wole Soyinka, Alice Walker who changed the world through the use of their pens. Seated in the conference room are published and established Ghanaian writers including Professor -Atukwei Okai, a poet extraodinaire and the president of the Pan African Association of Writers (PAWA) which has its headquarters in Ghana, Dr. Camynta Baedzie, Fred Agboli (the General Secretary of the Ghana Writers Association of Ghana (GAW) .These are established authors in Ghana who believe they can change the with their words and stories.

Gideon Mensah Commey, Einstein Boateng, myself and other young people in Ghana who initiated the formation of an association called Academy of Young Writers-Ghana are here to reason with leadership of these organisations to help young people interested in creative arts and literature.

With the aim giving the platform for young Ghanaians to engage in positive actions towards a better Ghana through creative arts-poetry, satire, novels and to help young authors publish their works the Academy was born.
Over the years, literature has helped shaped society by informing, educating and influencing people’s way of life. Life’s lessons are shared through Literature from poetry to prose.

As people read they gain insight into life, they learn about the culture of other people helping us to understand the world better. In various ways Literature inspires us as we read the life story of others. In most cases we can identify ourselves with some of the characters in a particular story.

Again, Literature helps us to solve the world’s problems and to be more creative. As people read, they are moved to act in many ways. Literature has been described as the mirror of life .

Over the years, female authors all over the world have changed the world through their books. As I stare at the pictures of great Pan African female authors such as Ama Atta Aidoo, Efua Sutherland, Margeret Walker Alexander, Sonia Sanchez, Frances Ademola I am filled with much admiration for these strong voices which still ring bells in our ears. ‘The best books are yet to written’-I muted to myself as i sat there thinking of the strong women who are sharing stories every day on Pulsewire.