Deborah Ahenkora
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1. What can you tell us about yourself?
My name is Deborah Ahenkorah and I’m Ghanaian. Lately, I have come to be given the name
‘Debbie from Ghana!’ Now let me tell you that story:
My South African friend Ntshadi, before I met her, once stopped to eat in a restaurant at a
random location somewhere in mid-USA. When the waitress discovered she was from South
Africa, she (the waitress) gushed and drawled: “Well I neva! You are really from Africa, aren’
t you. Goodness me. You must know my friend, Debbie, from Ghana!”
It was a funny-ha-ha-are-you-kidding-me moment. I am certain I do not know this waitress
and she does not know me. But I am and will always remain, yours truly, ‘Debbie from
Ghana!’
2. What's the source of your interest in promoting African reading and education? How
successful have your book and education drive been?
I believe that deep-rooted change comes through education and so in my freshman year of
college, I founded an organization, Project Educate In Africa (PEIA), to organize book drives
and fund raising events in support of educational initiatives in Africa.
Building on my work with PEIA, I co-founded the Baobab Prize to encourage the writing of
African literature for young readers.
The successes of these two initiatives continue to astound me. In PEIA’s two years of
existence, we have shipped close to 8,000 books to more than 35 African countries. We have
also raised over $ 7,000 through craft sales on the Bryn Mawr College campus and currently
we are hoping to fund the building of a pre-school in Northern Ghana.
The Baobab Prize, now in its second year, has also been incredibly successful. We are not
partnering with two major international organizations and a number of top name African
publishers.
3. How early were you exposed to reading, and what kinds of books did you read as a
child? At what age did you read books by African authors?
I am the last-but-one child of a huge family, so growing up there was a lot of pressure to be
as cool as my older siblings. At the time when I was most impressionable, the cool thing to do
in my family was to read. The more you read, the cooler you were. So I read. I read my heart
out.
My first chapter book was an Enid Blyton from her ‘Famous Five’ series. I will never forget
the ecstasy I felt at discovering the ‘joy of reading’- that through a book I could go anywhere,
be anyone, do anything. It was glorious!
Unfortunately I never got around to reading African authors while I was young. I felt at that
time that the few African stories I came by were all cut from the same moral-laden folk tale
genre. My love affair with African literature started in high school with Chinua Achebe’s
Anthills of the Savannah. My copy is this book and tattered and worn, read over and over.
4. I admire your work in the Baobab Fiction Prize. What can you tell us about this
award of African literature?
The Baobab Prize is an African literary award that has grown out of a dream that my co-
founder, Rama Shagaya and I conceived, to encourage the writing of African literature for
young readers. The award was inaugurated in 2008-2009 as an annual contest open to all
African citizens, inviting submissions of African-themed children stories. The stories we
receive fall in the categories: for readers aged 8-11 years; for readers aged 12 – 15 years. As
well, we recognize a 'Promising Young Writer' under age 18. We award a cash prize and
connect the stories we receive with interested publishers.
5. Why have you focused on young readers?
The focus on young readers is because we have identified young people below the age of
fifteen to be African Literature’s most neglected audience. African children's literature is just
coming into its own and my co-founder Rama Shagaya and I are convinced that a crop of
young readers who appreciate African literature will develop to become the readers and
writers of African works in the future.
6. What is the future of the award? Who funds it?
The Baobab Prize is pushing the literary giants of the next generation into the limelight and
producing classic stories that will be appreciated for many years. The Baobab Prize 2010 is
funded by the Global Fund for Children, The African Library Project as well as friends and
supporters of the initiative. We are proud to be associated with Bryn Mawr College (the alma-
mater of Rama and I) that has believed in this idea from the inception.
7. Are there plans to publish prize-related anthologies?
Yes! Give us ten years and you will find African children’s books selling wildly in international
bookstores all over the world. And all these hot-selling African children’s books will have one
thing in common, a golden stamp on the front cover that reads: The Baobab Prize.
8. Based on your experience reading contemporary African writers, what can you say is
the state of African literature?
African writers need to not feel burdened to tell of the ‘authentic African experience.’ What is
that anyway? The wider the variety of work we produce, the bigger the audiences we can
reach, like the African music industry. With the diverse genres our music industry is
embracing and entering, we are amassing an incredible global followership. Rock, Jazz and
Reggae fans all over the world for instance, can now find distinctively African music that
appeals to the tastes of their genres.
9. Of late, there have been debates about the need for African writers to embrace
genre or popular writing. What's your position on this issue?
YES PLEASE, more diversity (of genre, style, theme, content) in our writing. What will it
hurt?
You can imagine how happy we were to see lots of variety in the submissions we received for
the Baobab Prize's first year. The stories came from nine African countries and among them
were comic tales, magical fantasies, tragedies, and futuristic sci-fis. More diversity we say!
10. What do you see as the role of social networking sites like Facebook in the
promotion of writing and reading? What do you think needs more promotion, writing
or reading?
Social Networking sites have changed the face of marketing, advertising and information
accessing. Millions of people spend time on these sites looking for information. Writers can
benefit greatly by milking this eager audience. I would encourage upcoming writers to utilize
these media to sell their work for free. Yes, free. Income will come once you establish an
audience base that recognizes and appreciates and your work. People WILL pay for what they
want.
The Baobab prize has benefited from the free publicity available through social networking
sites. We appreciate the support of our Facebook friends and Twitter followers and we
always have room for more. Join us in our quest to revolutionize African literature!
My name is Deborah Ahenkorah and I’m Ghanaian. Lately, I have come to be given the name
‘Debbie from Ghana!’ Now let me tell you that story:
My South African friend Ntshadi, before I met her, once stopped to eat in a restaurant at a
random location somewhere in mid-USA. When the waitress discovered she was from South
Africa, she (the waitress) gushed and drawled: “Well I neva! You are really from Africa, aren’
t you. Goodness me. You must know my friend, Debbie, from Ghana!”
It was a funny-ha-ha-are-you-kidding-me moment. I am certain I do not know this waitress
and she does not know me. But I am and will always remain, yours truly, ‘Debbie from
Ghana!’
2. What's the source of your interest in promoting African reading and education? How
successful have your book and education drive been?
I believe that deep-rooted change comes through education and so in my freshman year of
college, I founded an organization, Project Educate In Africa (PEIA), to organize book drives
and fund raising events in support of educational initiatives in Africa.
Building on my work with PEIA, I co-founded the Baobab Prize to encourage the writing of
African literature for young readers.
The successes of these two initiatives continue to astound me. In PEIA’s two years of
existence, we have shipped close to 8,000 books to more than 35 African countries. We have
also raised over $ 7,000 through craft sales on the Bryn Mawr College campus and currently
we are hoping to fund the building of a pre-school in Northern Ghana.
The Baobab Prize, now in its second year, has also been incredibly successful. We are not
partnering with two major international organizations and a number of top name African
publishers.
3. How early were you exposed to reading, and what kinds of books did you read as a
child? At what age did you read books by African authors?
I am the last-but-one child of a huge family, so growing up there was a lot of pressure to be
as cool as my older siblings. At the time when I was most impressionable, the cool thing to do
in my family was to read. The more you read, the cooler you were. So I read. I read my heart
out.
My first chapter book was an Enid Blyton from her ‘Famous Five’ series. I will never forget
the ecstasy I felt at discovering the ‘joy of reading’- that through a book I could go anywhere,
be anyone, do anything. It was glorious!
Unfortunately I never got around to reading African authors while I was young. I felt at that
time that the few African stories I came by were all cut from the same moral-laden folk tale
genre. My love affair with African literature started in high school with Chinua Achebe’s
Anthills of the Savannah. My copy is this book and tattered and worn, read over and over.
4. I admire your work in the Baobab Fiction Prize. What can you tell us about this
award of African literature?
The Baobab Prize is an African literary award that has grown out of a dream that my co-
founder, Rama Shagaya and I conceived, to encourage the writing of African literature for
young readers. The award was inaugurated in 2008-2009 as an annual contest open to all
African citizens, inviting submissions of African-themed children stories. The stories we
receive fall in the categories: for readers aged 8-11 years; for readers aged 12 – 15 years. As
well, we recognize a 'Promising Young Writer' under age 18. We award a cash prize and
connect the stories we receive with interested publishers.
5. Why have you focused on young readers?
The focus on young readers is because we have identified young people below the age of
fifteen to be African Literature’s most neglected audience. African children's literature is just
coming into its own and my co-founder Rama Shagaya and I are convinced that a crop of
young readers who appreciate African literature will develop to become the readers and
writers of African works in the future.
6. What is the future of the award? Who funds it?
The Baobab Prize is pushing the literary giants of the next generation into the limelight and
producing classic stories that will be appreciated for many years. The Baobab Prize 2010 is
funded by the Global Fund for Children, The African Library Project as well as friends and
supporters of the initiative. We are proud to be associated with Bryn Mawr College (the alma-
mater of Rama and I) that has believed in this idea from the inception.
7. Are there plans to publish prize-related anthologies?
Yes! Give us ten years and you will find African children’s books selling wildly in international
bookstores all over the world. And all these hot-selling African children’s books will have one
thing in common, a golden stamp on the front cover that reads: The Baobab Prize.
8. Based on your experience reading contemporary African writers, what can you say is
the state of African literature?
African writers need to not feel burdened to tell of the ‘authentic African experience.’ What is
that anyway? The wider the variety of work we produce, the bigger the audiences we can
reach, like the African music industry. With the diverse genres our music industry is
embracing and entering, we are amassing an incredible global followership. Rock, Jazz and
Reggae fans all over the world for instance, can now find distinctively African music that
appeals to the tastes of their genres.
9. Of late, there have been debates about the need for African writers to embrace
genre or popular writing. What's your position on this issue?
YES PLEASE, more diversity (of genre, style, theme, content) in our writing. What will it
hurt?
You can imagine how happy we were to see lots of variety in the submissions we received for
the Baobab Prize's first year. The stories came from nine African countries and among them
were comic tales, magical fantasies, tragedies, and futuristic sci-fis. More diversity we say!
10. What do you see as the role of social networking sites like Facebook in the
promotion of writing and reading? What do you think needs more promotion, writing
or reading?
Social Networking sites have changed the face of marketing, advertising and information
accessing. Millions of people spend time on these sites looking for information. Writers can
benefit greatly by milking this eager audience. I would encourage upcoming writers to utilize
these media to sell their work for free. Yes, free. Income will come once you establish an
audience base that recognizes and appreciates and your work. People WILL pay for what they
want.
The Baobab prize has benefited from the free publicity available through social networking
sites. We appreciate the support of our Facebook friends and Twitter followers and we
always have room for more. Join us in our quest to revolutionize African literature!
Interview with Deborah Ahenkora, the Ghana-born
co-founder of Baobab Fiction Prize. In this
interview Deborah talks about the origins of the
Prize.
co-founder of Baobab Fiction Prize. In this
interview Deborah talks about the origins of the
Prize.