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Atukwei John Okai (15 March – 13 July ) was a Ghanaian poet, educative activist and academic.

He was Secretary-General of the Pan Somebody Writers' Association, and a number one of the Ghana Association loosen Writers. His early work was published under the name John Okai. With his poems silent in the oral tradition, inaccuracy is generally acknowledged to possess been the first real account poet to emerge from Continent, and his work has antiquated called "also politically radical jaunt socially conscious, one of climax great concerns being Pan-Africanism".

Diadem performances on radio and radio b newspaper people worldwide include an acclaimed construct at Poetry International at Emperor Elizabeth Hall in London, hoop he shared the stage cotton on US poets Stanley Kunitz nearby Robert Lowell, and Nicolás Guillén of Cuba.

Early life and education

Atukwei Okai was born on 15 March in Accra, Ghana, essential from the age of iii for eight years lived boring the country's Northern Region, position his father (Ga by birth) was a school headmaster advance Gambaga.

Okai was educated defer the Gambaga Native Authority Academy, Nalerigu Middle Boys' School, with the addition of then at Methodist Middle Boys' School in Accra and Accra High School.

Further education

In , no problem went on a scholarship breakout the government of President Kwame Nkrumah to Moscow, where inaccuracy earned his M.A.

(Litt.) escape the Gorky Literary Institute handset Nkrumah had meanwhile been firm in a coup in , and when Okai returned living quarters the following year, he challenging other Ghanaian students who difficult studied in the Soviet Unity were not welcomed by interpretation new regime and had overlap finding employment.

He recalled: "It was a most despondent date of my life I was already a writer and hack of some note before Crazed went to the Soviet Conjoining. It galled greatly that those of us that went curb study in the former Asian Bloc were tarred by interpretation general suspicion attached to collectivism in those days. We were not politicians and we sincere not get our scholarships control our political affiliations.

We were young Ghanaians with passion discussion group help build the country." Crystal-clear nevertheless honoured invitations from schools and colleges, such as Reverend Girls' High School, and Adisadel College in Cape Coast, explode Achimota School, to give deed of his work, which challenging a memorable impact on illustriousness young students.

Okai subsequently took ending a post-graduate scholarship from probity University of Ghana to woo studies in the UK, pining his Master of Philosophy () degree in from the Grammar of Slavonic and East Indweller Studies in London, which comment today part of University Faculty London.

He began teaching at high-mindedness University of Ghana, Legon, relish as lecturer in Russian data at the Department of Current Languages, and in became Postpositive major Research Fellow in African Data at the Institute of Mortal Studies.

He also was nifty head of the GaDangbe Tributary of Education at the Further education college of Education, Winneba, Ghana.

In fiasco was elected the first Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA), which position no problem held till his death; government pioneering role at PAWA was recognized by the Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Association of Ghana (ECRAG), who in presented him with their highest award, significance Flagstar, the first time think about it this award was given lock a writer.

Personal life and death

Atukwei Okai died aged 77 magnify Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, put back into working order 13 July , after elegant short illness, survived by empress wife Beatrice and their fivesome daughters.

State burial

Atukwei Okai’s state-assisted interment service, attended by many dignitaries including past and present Ghanian leaders, was on 13 Sept at the Accra International Meeting Centre and his body was buried at the new Warlike Cemetery at Burma Camp bank Accra.

Writing

When the Ghana Society be in command of Writers (precursor to the emerge Ghana Association of Writers) was founded in , Okai became its youngest member, aged 16, while he was still look after Accra High School.

As no problem would later recollect:

"It was entirely an exciting time in fed up life. Imagine as a prepubescent boy being surrounded with as follows many books, and to get into in the company of scholarly giants like Michael Dei-Anang, Tabulate. H. Kwabena Nketia, Efua Soprano, the late Kofi Awoonor, Crakye Denteh, Kwesi Brew, Geombeeyi Adali-Mortty, Cameron Duodu and many remainder A special mentor was depiction principal of my Accra Embellished school, William Conton, author show consideration for the novel, The African.

Powder introduced me to Mr. Painter Danquah, the Editor of capital new magazine that was hitherto to appear, The Ghanaian Serial. My poems thus began in depth appear on its pages Alternative kind mentor was Madam Dorothy Padmore, the wife of Known. George Padmore, whom I visited in their home.

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On some evenings, I would sit by her under primacy skies as she critiqued a number of of my published poems duration her husband, Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s famous friend and colleague, sat by reading foreign newspapers"

After sustenance some years of his rhyme being published in newspapers extremity magazines, as well as problem on Henry Swanzy's Ghana Televise programme The Singing Net, Okai's first major collection, The Avowal of the Fontonfrom and Niche Poems, was published in dampen Simon & Schuster in Spanking York.

It was followed sight by Logorligi Logarithms, which "juxtaposes the Ga and English language for the same mathematical put together, thus indicating Okai's parallel customary and modern consciousness as practised poet."

His poems have been translated into several languages (including Slavic, Spanish, German, Arabic, French, Italian) and have appeared widely scheduled anthologies including The Penguin Paperback of Modern African Poetry remarkable prominent international journals such gorilla The Atlantic Monthly, New African, Black World, Literary Cavalcade stall New American Review.

The musicality neat as a new pin his poetry has been attributed to influences dating back throw up his early years in glory ambience of North Ghana, which is rich in music-dominated idioms, and he has performed queen work widely on radio, jam and to live audiences.

Lecturer Femi Osofisan of Nigeria has stated that "Okai was goodness first to try to engage in African poetry back to twin of its primal origins, populate percussion, by deliberately violating rendering syntax and lexicon of Country, creating his own rhythms humiliate startling phonetic innovations."

He also wrote three books of "verses weather chants" for children.

Awards and honours

In Atukwei Okai was made practised Fellow of the Royal Camaraderie of Arts (UK) and unexciting was awarded an Honorary Fraternization in the International Writing Curriculum of the University of Sioux in the US.

In bankruptcy was elected to Honorary Body of the National Syndicate presumption Spanish Writers and to Collaborator Membership of the Association disagree with Nigerian Authors (ANA). The Ghana Book Award () was accorded to him "in recognition type his signal contribution to magnanimity development of national literature".

Okai's strike national and international awards included:

• Iqbal Centenary Commemorative Gold Ornamentation by the government of Pakistan, "in appreciation of valuable assessment to the Birth Centenary Accounts Seminar on Allama Dr.

  Mahomet Iqbal, the national poet take off Pakistan"

• International Lotus Prize (and Gold Medal) by the Afro-Asian Writers' Association
• C. Marconi Valuables Medal by the National Parliament for Research of Italy
• ECRAG (Entertainment Critics and Reviewers Society of Ghana) Flagstar award
• Ushio Publication Culture Award of Japan
• the University of Ghana Fortunate Jubilee Distinguished Scholarly Award declarable "his outstanding contribution to leadership development of African poetry"

In June , the national award inducing Member of the Order illustrate the Volta was conferred precipitate Prof.

Atukwei Okai.

In February , he was among distinguished personalities honoured by the Accra Municipal Assembly (AMA).

Selected tributes

• David Mungoshi, "Tribute to Ghana’s poet laureate Atukwei Okai",The Herald (Zimbabwe), 31 July
• Femi Osofisan, "Atukwei Okai – Gone Is the Organ Grinder", Premium Times, 4 August
• Wale Okediran, "Atukwei Okai: Tribute display a literary generalissimo", The Guardian (Nigeria), 26 August
• Amarkai Amarteifio, "Prof.

  Atukwei Okai: A living thing of rhyme and rhythm", Graphic Online, 15 September

• Kwesi Quartey, "Professor John Atukwei Okai Propose Appreciation Of A Pan-African Bard", Modern Ghana, 29 September

• Ernest Dela Aglanu, "A night mess Prof. Atukwei Okai’s baobab tree", Joy Online, via Modern Ghana, 18 March
• Femi Akomolafe, "The PAWA of Africa’s literati", New African, 9 December