Vertical
Profile
Overview
Ama Ata Aidoo
Ama Ata Aidoo was a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright, politician, and academic.
23March
1942
23 March 1942
Born
Christina Ama Ata Aidoo was born on March 23, 1942, in Abeadzi Kyiakor, near Saltpond, in the Central Region of Ghana
30June
1950
30 June 1950
Early life
Born on 31 March according to some sources, Ama Ata Aidoo grew up in a Fante royal household, with her father being the chief of Abeadzi Kyiakor, and her exposure to education and her aspirations as a writer were influenced by her father's efforts to educate their village after her grandfather's murder by neocolonialists.
30June
1957
30 June 1957
Education
After completing her education at Wesley Girls' Senior High School, Ama Ata Aidoo pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the University of Ghana, Legon, where she wrote her debut play, "The Dilemma of a Ghost," which was published by Longman in 1965, establishing her as the first published female African dramatist.
30June
1970
30 June 1970
Career
Aidoo pursued a fellowship in creative writing at Stanford University, then returned to Ghana to teach English, becoming a professor at the University of Ghana, a research fellow at the Institute of African Studies, and a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast before serving as Minister of Education, advocating for free education and addressing the roles of African women while promoting unity, critiquing exploitation, and co-chairing the Organization of Women Writers of Africa.
30June
1990
30 June 1990
Writings
Ama Ata Aidoo is a prolific writer whose works include plays such as "The Dilemma of a Ghost" and "Anowa," novels like "Our Sister Killjoy" challenging traditional views on sexuality, award-winning poetry collections like "Someone Talking to Sometime," and she also founded the Mbaasem Foundation to support African women writers; she has made significant contributions to anthologies and published a collection of short stories and essays.
30June
1992
30 June 1992
Honours and recognition
Ama Ata Aidoo received numerous awards throughout her career, including the Mbari Club prize in 1962 for her short story "No Sweetness Here" and the 1992 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book (Africa) for her novel Changes, and she was the inspiration for various works, such as a volume of essays in her honor, a documentary film, and the Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize; furthermore, the Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing was established in her honor at the African University College of Communications.
30May
2023
30 May 2023
Death
Aidoo passed away at the age of 81 in Accra, and President Nana Akufo-Addo announced that she would receive a state funeral, honoring her as an exceptional writer, advocate for women's rights, and champion of African and global progress, with funeral rites taking place from July 13 to July 16.
Similar Timelines to Explore
Expolore similar timelines on Timepath and dive deeper into the subject of Ama Ata Aidoo. Your journey through connected events and stories starts here. Missed something? We would love to hear your suggestions for additional timelines.