George Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor-Williams

Kofi Awoonor Williams was born in Wheta, Ghana. One of Ghana's ethnic groupings, the Ewe, is the family he was born into. His mother, Comfort Fiawoo, was a market trader who sold goods, and his father, Rev. E.N. Awoonor-Williams, was a Presbyterian priest.

Rediscovery and Other Poems, Kofi Awoonor Williams' debut poetry collection, was released. His position as a key figure in African literature was cemented by the anthology, which won praise from critics. The collection's poems delve into topics including identity, colonialism, and African history and culture.

Kofi Awoonor Williams was detained by Ghana's newly installed military government. He was charged with taking part in a plan to topple the government. Before being freed, he was detained for several months without being put on trial.

Kofi Awoonor Williams' book "The Promise of Hope: New and Selected Poems" earned him the Commonwealth Poetry Prize.

Kofi Awoonor Williams perished in a terrorist assault at the Westgate retail center in Nairobi, Kenya. To take part in the Storymoja Hay Festival, he traveled to Kenya and was killed in the attack.