Ghana Association of Writers Awards 2019 winners announced in Accra.

The winners of the Ghana Association of Writers Awards 2019 were announced in Accra, Ghana on Saturday, November 16, 2019.

The Ghana Association of Writers Literary Awards, instituted to honour Ghanaian literary excellence and to celebrate the outstanding efforts made by writers, were first held in 1987. They went on a hiatus due to political, social and financial circumstances until it was revived in 2017 to commemorate both Ghana Association of Writers and Ghana’s sixty years of statehood. Since then, the awards hosted in 2017 and in 2018 have shone a light on some of the best writing coming from the West African nation.

The shortlists for the awards for 2019, which had Ghana Association of Writers Vice President Doris Adabasu Kuwornu as the Literary Awards Committee Chairman, were announced on November 15.

The awards evening at the Ghana International Trade Fair Centre, emceed by Miriam Osei-Agyeman and Korku Lumor, had Kwame Pianim as Special Guest of Honour and a keynote address by Elizabeth Ohene.

The President of Ghana Association of Writers, Francis Gbormittah, said the event was for the celebration of excellence and achievement, especially when you are recognised by your peers. “We are committed, as an association, to providing an atmosphere for excellence and giving due regard to our values as writers, which the shortlisted winners of the 2019 awards have exemplified,” he said.

The biggest winner on the night was Ruby Yayra Goka winning the novel and Children’s Storybook categories. The full list of winners on the evening with the winner in bold are;

Novel

1. Ruby Yayra Goka, To Kiss A Girl
2. Maxwel Adzel, Bakudi’s Ghost
3. Eben A Odoi, Buduwaa The African Princess

Short Story

1. Mawuli Adzel, Guilty As Charged
2. Asagz Gandaah (Bertrand A Abelumkemah), The Slummers Curse.
3. Alex Asamoah-Bonti, What You Sow Is What You Reap

Poetry

1. Mawuli Adzei, Filaments
2. Celestine Ndanu, Whispers of Dawn: A Dawn of Criteria.
3. Oppong Clifford Benjamin, Collecting Stars From A Night’s Sky

Children’s Poetry

• Ohene B Dankwa, When The Wind Blows.

Children’s Storybook

1. Ruby Yayra Goka, Mama Amazing Cover Cloth
2. Amy Owusua Asiedu, Adaku At The Homowo Festival.
3. Samiha Sulleyman, Rabbital Kingdom

Young Writer

1. Selassie Mensah,
2. Daniel Takyi Antwi Boasiako, Now And Then

Creative Nonfiction

1. Ajoa Yeboah-Afari, Conversations With My Father
2. Kofi Otutu Adu Labi, They Touched Us For Good
3. Samuel Alimo, The Unspeakable Words.

Drama

1. Godwin Asare (Omama Kidash), The Sorceress And Other Plays.
2. Waterz Yidana, The Mango Seed.
3. Elias Kwaku Asiama, Ohinto Metamorphosis

Spoken Word (Video/Audio)

1. Pobee Mwintombo, Mwintombo Poetry
2. Cep Sefogah (Megborna), Agoo (Silver Words)
3. William Duboi Kumi (Koo Kumi), Woke On The Mountain (WOTM)

Science and mathematics

1. Christopher Asare Boriba, Breakthrough Series For West African Senior High Schools
2. Michael Opoku Agyeman, Clinicians and Pharmacists Companion and Consult Vol 1 & 2

Ghanaian Language

1. Seth Y Akafia, Ke Le
2. Benedicta Esi Anibri, Mama Adidi Gbadebu Fe Adzo Adewo
3. Ernest Perbi-Asare, De Mente

Scriptwriting

• Not Awarded