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August 1st, 2011:
OGOV editor Rob Taylor is giving away three copies of his book via Goodreads.com. Click below to enter (contest open to Ghanaians, Canadians and Americans only):
January 15th, 2011:
A press release from Seaweed Books:
A UK based publishing firm, Seaweed Books, is calling on Ghanaian poets to contribute to its serial anthology, titled: We Harvest Cocoa, Gold and Metaphor.
Objective: Among the established lot of world poets, Seaweed Books has the aim of reaching a wide audience with a quality title – in other to promote Ghanaian poetry / poets of this generation. Hence this publication is not charity oriented.
If interested, submit 7 poems as attachments to seaweedbooks@gmail.com
Guidelines:
Your poem can be of any subject, and any length of lines
Enclose a biography of not more than 65 words
Only 5 out of your 7 submitted poems may be selected for publication
If published, your copyrights will be acknowledged
When published, you will be entitled to 2 copies of the title
Submission deadline: March 16th, 2011
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January 1st, 2011 - 2010 in Review:
Happy New Year, everyone!
We say it every year, and every year it's true: it's been a great year for One Ghana, One Voice. In 2010, we published 52 issues, featuring 53 poems by 34 poets from Ghana and around the world. We ran special series' on the Harmattan and, during the World Cup, on the Black Stars. We also established a new feature on the site: "How Poems Work" essays. We have already published two such essays by L.S. Mensah and Dela Bobobee, and aim to publish many more in 2011 (expect one early in the year from Prince Mensah, for instance).
Our readership continued to grow, and the number of dedicated "followers" who have signed up to follow the site has ballooned to almost 100 people (see the "Followers" section in the sidebar). We have also furthered our reach into the miasma of social media by establishing a Twitter page in December.
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December 23rd, 2010:
OGOV is on Twitter! Get weekly poems and Ghanaian poetry news quickly and efficiently at http://twitter.com/ghanapoetry
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December 22nd, 2010:
The deadline for votes for OGOV favourite poems of the year has been bumped up from December 31st to December 27th. Vote soon! All the information is here.
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December 9th, 2010
Emmanuel Sigauke has interviewed Nana Fredua-Agyemang on his reading habits for 2010, over on his Wealth of Ideas blog. You can read the interview here.
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November 4th, 2010
Mbaasem Foundation Literary Forum and Workshop
Women, Writing and the African Society
Literary Forum
Friday, November 5th, 2010
Mini Conference Room, Trade Fair Center
8:00 am – 9:00 am Registration
9:30 am – 11:00 am On African Love Stories
Panelists: Karin Sohlgren & Prof. Omolara Ogundipe
11:30 am – 1:00 pm Women, Writing and The African Society
Keynote address by Amma Darko, Author of Beyond the Horizon
2:00pm – 3:30pm A New Generation of Women Writers & the Literary Landscape
Panelists: Mamle Kabu, Mariska Taylor-Darko and Elizabeth Irene Baitie
3:30pm – 5:30pm Exploring the Works of Sutherland, Aidoo, Darko and Others
Panelists: Dr. Helen Yitah, English Department, University of Ghana
Dr. Edem Dzregah, English Department, University of Ghana
The Literary Forum is free and open to the public
For more information contact: mbaasem33(at)yahoo.com or 027-742-6045
Creative Writing Workshop
Saturday, November 6th, 2010
Building 2, Ashesi University
8am – 9am Registration
9am – 1pm Creative Writing: Poetry and Prose Narrative
Resource: Manu Herbstein, writer
Dr. Mawuli Adjei, University of Ghana
Dr. Kwame Adika, University of Ghana
Dr. Helen Yitah, University of Ghana
2pm – 3pm Writing for local and global audiences
3pm - 5pm Review & Critique Clinic
Review of submitted works-in-progress
Event is free and open to the public.
The workshop is limited to 50 participants. To reserve a
place, please contact: mbaasem33(at)yahoo.com or 027-742-6045
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November 1st, 2010:
A press release from Mensa Press:
Five Anthologies Spanning the Human Experience from Mensa Press
Columbia, Maryland, USA – Poetry about varying human conditions has been in existence since the advent of life. However, the challenges in living in the 21st century are unique in themselves, giving rise to the need for poetic coverage.
Mensa Press, under the direction of its Founding Editor, Prince Kwasi Mensah, has rallied an army of international poets to produce five modern poetry masterpieces on the life and times of contemporary Africa.
The titles are Defiled Sacredness (an anthology about the ravages of rape), We Come From One Place (an anthology about schism in the human family), Whispers in the Whirlwind (an anthology about socio-economic issues in Africa), The War Against War (an anthology about the realities of war) and Visions of the Motherland (a poetic homage to Africa).
Each anthology carries within itself a succinct essence that challenges the reader to re-engage on issues that matter. They carry within them the hopes, dreams and nightmares of our age.
Mensa Press is primarily focused on reintroducing African literature to the world literary arena. Copies of the anthologies can be acquired at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or at your local bookstore.
Contact
The Founding Editor
mensapress(at)gmail.com
Mensa Press
5472 Cedar Lane, Room C1
Columbia, MD
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June 28th, 2010:
Today we launched our impromptu series of poems on the Black Stars, which will run until July 9th. If you have something to contribute, please email us at: oneghanaonevoice(at)gmail.com
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June 25th, 2010:
Rob has completed a Q&A about OGOV's editorial policies over at Duotrope's Digest. You can read it here.
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May 13th, 2010:
Ghanaian poets in the spotlight:
Mutombo is in a movie debuting in Accra this Saturday.
Nii Ayikwei Parkes is nominated for the UK's prestigious Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets.
Congratulations to both!
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April 21st, 2010:
An event this Sunday in East Legon:
The Writers Project of Ghana
Talk Party
Sunday, April 25th, 5:30 PM
Find Nubuke at 7 Adamafio Close
East Legon (near Mensvic Hotel)
More info: 020 7152656
Free Admission!
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April 6th, 2010:
District Mag, run by OGOV contributor Darko Antwi, is looking for guest bloggers. If you might be interested, contact Darko at districtmag(at)gmail.com.
He is also looking for poems by Junior High School pupils.
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April 6th, 2010:
The NKA Foundation is planning an "Poet's Cottage" as part of the Arts Village they hope to construct in the Ashanti Region. They are looking for input from local writers. To find out more, vist their website: http://www.nkafoundation.org/index.html
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April 6th, 2010:
An update of the call posted a few months ago, with new guidelines (note that African poets do no have to pay the submission fee):
RHYTHM INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION SOCIETY OF EDMONTON
SUN AND SNOW 2010 ANTHOLOGY
This anthology is intended to promote creativity as well as a connection between African and Canadian writers/poets. At the same time we are working towards raising money to help get water to the Dixcove Hospital which is located just outside Takoradi, Ghana, West Africa. Money raised from the Anthology will go towards the Society and help contribute to the Dixcove Project. For any further inquires about Rhythm Foundation please email Michelle at terrian.mlb@hotmail.com or rhythm_int@hotmail.com. Thanks for your participation!
DEAR POETS;
Please read the POETRY SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS carefully. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW SO THAT YOUR POEM CAN SUCCESSFULLY BE SUBMITTED. WE ARE A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES CREATIVITY WHILE DOING GOOD WORKS AND WE DONT HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TO SPEND ON EDITING.....so please help us all do a good job by submitting correctly.
YOU are invited to submit one 30-line poem and one 75-word bio for the 2010 SUN AND SNOW Anthology. Each poem and bio together gets one page in the anthology.
Poems and bios that fail to meet the specifications for the anthology may need to be edited or worse may be rejected. Editing may unintentionally change the meaning of your poem or bio. In order to have a poem in the anthology you should be a paid member of the Rhythm International Foundation Society of Edmonton. Membership is $25. and cheque can be made out to Rhythm International Foundation of Edmonton and mailed to 7408-78th Ave. T6B 0C1. Exceptions will be made for those Canadian or African poets who can not afford to contribute to membership but wish to help with the Dixcove project by submitting a poem as their contribution. If space is limited then paid members will be chosen first.
INSTRUCTIONS:
-Poems must have a title.
-Maximum length of poem allowed is 30 lines and this includes a one-line title and blank lines between stanzas. -Please don't use double spacing as those spaces will be counted as lines.
-Maximum width of poem is 58 spaces
-Please do not SUBMIT your biography in broken-line form
-PLACE YOUR BIOGRAPHY RIGHT BELOW YOUR POEM, on the same page. USE YOUR NAME AS TITLE OF BIO - this will identify your poem.
-If you do not submit a bio, your bio will appear in the form - "WALT WRITER IS A CANADIAN OR AFRICAN POET." (which ever the case may be)
TO SUBMIT via email or for further inquiries contact Michelle (780-242-7513) at; rhythm_int(at)hotmail.com or terrian.mlb(at)hotmail.com
If your poem and bio have no special formatting such as italics or bold, you may submit them in a plain-text email message. If they do have that kind of formatting, please submit them via email message set for HTML/rich-text formatting or use a Word attachment.
DEADLINE for poem and bio submission: APRIL 30 2010.
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March 6th, 2010:
Happy Independence Day! To celebrate, Barima Adu-Asamoa has provided us with a poem:
GHANA @53 THE POEM
The Present
Nananom
The present could not be the barn
Of our harvested visions
So we must not light a thought
To open this barn of our harvest
It may not yet be a thoughtful dawn
Warm enough to keep-gate
Crushing ghost away
When the whiskered ones
Have bleated all nights the remains
Of their sad compelling voices
And spiteful beings in lustful colours
Have strained away
The begetters of our sundew
Across the fore-court of
Our harvested visions
Do not
Do not light a thought to see
These weeviled grains
Of our harvested visions
For our beloved country
Ghana
Is
Still
Forever
We patterned our destiny
In colourful strands like Kente
Red, gold, green and the star
Black and defiant
As if the great ones
Have declared us
True of word
Maheru
We dipped our fore fingers
In naked haste, forgetting ourselves
Deep into the still waters of our destiny
And tasted the future
Without the songs of triumph
Nor the ease of knowing
A solemn sigh then fell
On the lips of the great ones
As if the beautiful ones
Have not yet been born
Five time five we yearned
And held a multitude of emotions to our chest
And gathered husk without the burden of proof
Trusting instead the dance of the mask raiders
And
Still
Our
Beloved country
Ghana
Is
Still
Forever
The Past
We witnessed the past in anger
Fear, once dripped from the crevices of our well-being
And sorrow like tears of joy from our very eyes
We carried the spirit-pot
Filled and unfilled at once!
And tasted four recalcitrant whirlwinds
With our naked tongues
Which swirled around our destiny
But never sprouted into the glorious
Morning rise of the African star
Red, gold, green
Black and defiant
And
Still
Our
Beloved country
Ghana
Is
Forever
We poured libation at midnight
At half moon, we bowed in penance
And fasted for forty days and forty nights
Then a solemn sigh fell
On the lips of the Great ones
As if we were to live by bread alone
Seven times seven we waited with zeal
And heard echoes of the rain-thunder
That should have preceded us
But the rain never came
And our beloved country
Ghana
Is
Still
Forever
The Future
We parade the future now
In primary desires
Along the desolate path
And there is nothing to say or prophesise
The sooth Sayers have all gone home
Discarding their ware for a percentage
The divine drummers and the beautiful ones
They too have left
Surrounding their will
Desiring instead the facade beat of the divine drum
As if to hush the memory of their rebirth
And
Still
Our beloved country
Ghana
Is
Forever
The Star, once up above so high
Like a diamond in our hearts
Now twinkles with a stammering hope
We heard distant laughters
And felt a ray of sundew
On our foreheads
So we crossed the crossed-roads
And joined the enchanted ones
Singing along the path of hope
(Song)
We paused diligently
And scanned through
The remaining chapters of our destiny
Possessed by love, we wept
Sweetly and gently
As
If
We
Knew.
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February 3rd, 2010:
A press release from a new Canadian-based anthology of African and Canadian writing, raising money for the Dixcove Hospital (NOTE, AN UPDATE TO THESE GUIDELINES HAS BEEN POSTED ABOVE):
RHYTHM INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION SOCIETY OF EDMONTON
SUN AND SNOW 2010 ANTHOLOGY
Please keep in mind the mission of Rhythm International Foundation of Edmonton when submitting your poem.
"It is our mission to make this world a more healthy, peaceful, creative, caring place to live, one project at at time, based on one or all of our objectives."
This anthology is intended to promote creativity as well as a connection between African and Canadian writers/poets. At the same time we are working towards raising money to help get water to the Dixcove Hospital which is located just outside Takoradi, Ghana, West Africa. Money raised from the Anthology will go towards the Society and help contribute to the Dixcove Project. For any further inquires about Rhythm Foundation please email Michelle at terrian.mlb@hotmail.com. Thanks for your participation!
WE ARE A NEWLY FORMED SOCIETY AND THIS IS OUR FIRST ANTHOLOGY AND PROJECT. IF FOR SOME REASON WE DO NOT GET ENOUGH MEMBERS OR CONTRIBUTORS TO COMPLETE THE ANTHOLOGY THOSE POETS WHO HAVE BECOME PAID MEMBERS WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO HAVE THEIR MEMBERSHIP REFUNDED AND THEIR POEM RETURNED OR REMAIN ACTIVE WHILE WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE DIXCOVE HOSPITAL PROJECT FOR WHICH THEIR MEMBERSHIP WILL HELP WITH.
DEAR POETS;
Please read the POETRY SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS carefully. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO FOLLOW SO THAT YOUR POEM CAN SUCCESSFULLY BE SUBMITTED. WE ARE A VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATION THAT PROMOTES CREATIVITY WHILE DOING GOOD WORKS AND WE DON'T HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF TIME TO SPEND ON EDITING... so please help us all do a good job by submitting correctly.
YOU are invited to submit one 30-line poem and one 75-word bio for the 2010 SUN AND SNOW Anthology. Each poem and bio together gets one page in the anthology.
Poems and bios that fail to meet the specifications for the anthology may need to be edited or worse may be rejected. Editing may unintentionally change the meaning of your poem or bio. In order to have a poem in the anthology you should be a paid member of the Rhythm International Foundation Society of Edmonton, exceptions will be made for those Canadian or African poets who can not afford to contribute to membership but wish to help with the Dixcove project by submitting a poem as their contribution. If space is limited then paid members will be chosen first.
INSTRUCTIONS:
-Poems must have a title.
-Maximum length of poem allowed is 30 lines and this includes a one-line title and blank lines between stanzas. -Please don't use double spacing as those spaces will be counted as lines.
-Maximum width of poem is 58 spaces
-Please do not SUBMIT your biography in broken-line form
-PLACE YOUR BIOGRAPHY RIGHT BELOW YOUR POEM, on the same page. USE YOUR NAME AS TITLE OF BIO - this will identify your poem.
-If you do not submit a bio, your bio will appear in the form - "WALT WRITER IS A CANADIAN OR AFRICAN POET." (which ever the case may be)
TO SUBMIT via email or for further inquiries contact Michelle (780-242-7513) at; rhythm_int@hotmail.com or terrian.mlb@hotmail.com
If your poem and bio have no special formatting such as italics or bold, you may submit them in a plain-text email message. If they do have that kind of formatting, please submit them via email message set for HTML/rich-text formatting or use a Word attachment.
DEADLINE for poem and bio submission: APRIL 28 2010.
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January 1st, 2010 - 2009 in Review:
Happy New Year, all!
2009 was another successful year for One Ghana, One Voice. We published 52 issues, featuring 56 poems by 31 poets from Ghana and around the world. In addition, we ran three Special Series and a Roundtable Discussion entitled "What makes good poetry and who decides it?".
Our readership grew steadily in 2009 and contributions via our comment sections more than doubled, from 225 comments in 2008 to 508 in 2009. We also added the "Followers" system in the sidebar, allowing readers to subscribe to our weekly postings (as well as show that they are fans). We started with a handful of participants and have ended the year with 68 "Followers" - not too shabby!
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2008-09 News and Notices Archive
2007 News and Notices Archive
This page has been created as an attempt to forge connections between those interested in, and knowledgeable about, Ghanaian poetry. If you would like to post a Ghanaian poetry-related notice: an event listing, a question, a submission call, etc. please email us at oneghanaonevoice(at)gmail.com. Subject line: "Notices".
