Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro and Women Writers of Africa



Nana Darkoa (far right) moderating a panel with women writers (from left to right) Mama C, Boakyewaa Glover, Kuukua Yomekpe and Mamle Kabu
Photo credit: Printex

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:

Rosamond S. King, Organization of Women Writers of Africa

OWWAYariYari@gmail.com

718-219-3473

Jaïra Placide, New York University

Institute of African American Affairs

jp2050@nyu.edu

212-998-2981

MORE THAN A DOZEN GHANAIAN WRITERS AND SCHOLARS FEATURED IN MAJOR

CONFERENCE MAY 2013 IN ACCRA, GHANA

(April 2, 2013) – The Organization of Women Writers of Africa (OWWA) and New York University (NYU), in collaboration with the Ghanaian Mbaasem Foundation and the Spanish Fundación Mujeres por África (Women for Africa Foundation), will present Yari Yari Ntoaso: Continuing the Dialogue – An International Conference on Literature by Women of African Ancestry. This major conference will put writers, critics, and readers from across Africa, the USA, Europe, and the Caribbean in dialogue with each other in Accra, Ghana, May 16-19, 2013.

More than a dozen emerging and established Ghanaian authors, including celebrated writer Ama Ata Aidoo, children’s author Ruby Goka, fiction author Mamle Kabu, scholar Esi Sutherland-Addy, and UK-based editor Margaret Busby will speak about their work on topics ranging from identity, to the craft of writing, to literary activism. These authors will be joined by other well-known writers such as: Angela Davis (USA), Tess Onwueme (Nigeria), Natalia Molebatsi (South Africa), Yolanda Arroyo Pizarro (Puerto Rico), Sapphire (USA), Veronique Tadjo (Côte d’Ivoire), Evelyne Trouillot (Haiti), and many others (a list of participants is below). Local organizations participating in this exciting gathering include the Pan-African Writers Association, the Ghana Association of Writers, and the Writers Project of Ghana.

Yari Yari Ntoaso will consist of panels, readings, performances, and workshops, and will be devoted to the study, evaluation, and celebration of the creativity and diversity of women writers of African descent. Yari means the future in the Kuranko language of Sierra Leone; Ntoaso means understanding and agreement in the Akan language of Ghana. Fifteen years after OWWA’s first major conference, Yari Yari Ntoaso continues the dialogue of previous Yari Yari gatherings, connecting writers, scholars, and readers.

The conference program includes an entire panel devoted to Ghanaian literature, a Saturday morning “storytime” for children, and workshops for adult and youth. All events are free and open to the public, and all Ghanaians interested in literature – whether as readers or as writers, both youth and adults – are encouraged to attend. Register at http://owwainc.org/gettingthere.html . Most events will be held at the lovely facilities of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons (No. 54 Independence Avenue, near the Ridge Roundabout) in Accra. A draft program is available in the “Gallery” section of www.indiegogo.com/owwa .

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Original Press Release

http://www.awdf.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/YYN-GHANAPress-Release1.pdf