Okyeame — the name refers to the royal linguist or spokesperson in Akan tradition, the one who speaks for the chief — was founded by the Ghana Society of Writers in Accra and became the primary literary magazine of Ghana’s independence-era culture, publishing poetry, fiction, drama and criticism.
By the time of the issue held here, the journal had moved. Vol. 4, No. 2 is published half-yearly by the Writers’ Workshop at the Institute of African Studies, Legon, edited by Efua Sutherland with an editorial committee of Geormbeeyi Adali-Mortty, Jawa Apronti, E. Ofori Akyea and Kofi Gyinaye Kyei. The cover is designed by Ammon Kotei and the inside illustrations are by John Kedjanyi.
The issue carries an excerpt from Sutherland’s The Marriage of Anansewa, Saka Acquaye on language and African theatre, and work by John Okai, Joe Manu, Kofi Dei-Anang, Jawa Apronti, A. A. Opoku, E. Y. Egblewogbe, Kwa O. Hagan, Ime Ikiddeh, Florence Dolphyne and others. It closes with Abiola Irele reviewing Ayi Kwei Armah’s The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born — a novel the Library also holds, in the Rare First Editions collection. The book and an early African critical response to it sit in two different parts of this archive.
Physical copies of Okyeame are extraordinarily rare. The OlongoAfrica Library holds this single issue.
