Ghanaian literary legend and one of Africa’s most celebrated authors, playwright and women’s advocate, Ama Ata Aidoo, has passed.
She was 81.
In a statement announcing he death, her family said “Our beloved relative and writer” passed away after a short illness, requesting privacy to allow them to grieve.
Aidoo’s works often explore themes of gender, identity, and culture, and her writing is known for its powerful social commentary and African feminist perspectives as well as the use of English in a Ghanaian way. Her most famous novel is “Changes,” which was published in 1991 and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. In 2020, Nigerian Afrobeats singer, Burna Boy, sampled an excerpt from her 1987 interview in which she decries colonial and post-colonial exploitation of the African continent by the West.
More: Spotlight on Ama Ata Aidoo, the Woman Who Can
Aidoo has always been an influential figure in African education and politics. She served as Minister of Education for Ghana from 1982 to 1983, the first woman to have ever hold that position in the country. She has also been involved in numerous educational initiatives across the continent.
In March this year, The Accra Times celebrated her as part of the Women History Month.