The Pan African Writers' Association (PAWA), founded in November 1989, is a

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

-based cultural institution "born in the larger crucible of Pan Africanism" that is an umbrella body of writers' associations on the African continent and the

Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of birth, place of origin. The word is used in reference to people who identify with a specific geographic location, but currently resi ...

. The mission of PAWA, unanimously accepted at its inaugural congress in November 1989, in

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

, is "to strengthen the cultural and economic bonds between the people on the African continent against the background of the continent's acknowledged diverse but rich cultural, political and economic heritage.""Brief History of PAWA"
PAWA website. The highlight of the PAWA calendar is the annual lecture, given by noted African writers.

History

The Constituent Congress of PAWA was held at the Kwame Nkrumah Conference Centre, Accra,

, from 7 to 11 November 1989 under the theme: "African Unity; A Liberation of the Mind". Representatives from more than 36 countries formally signed the Declaration and Constitution that led to the establishment of PAWA. PAWA now comprises the 52 national writers associations on the African continent. The position of Secretary General of PAWA was held by Professor Atukwei Okai from 1989 until his death in 2018. In 1992, the Secretariat of PAWA, located in Accra's Roman Ridge neighbourhood, was granted full diplomatic status by the government of Ghana.

International African Writers' Day, 7 November

In 1991, the Conference of African Ministers of Education and Culture, meeting in

Cotonou Cotonou (; ) is the largest city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area. The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The city lies ...

Benin Benin, officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It was formerly known as Dahomey. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west, and Niger to the north-east. The majority of its po ...

, resolved to establish 7 November, the day on which PAWA was founded, as International African Writers' Day, which is now celebrated throughout the continent.Femi Akomolafe
"The PAWA of Africa’s literati"
''New African'', 9 December 2014. In November 2015, more than 300 writers and scholars gathered to commemorate the 22nd International African Writers’ Day at a three-day conference, held in Accra, that took as its theme "Celebrating the life and works of

Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe (; born Albert Chinụalụmọgụ Achebe; 16 November 1930 – 21 March 2013) was a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic who is regarded as a central figure of modern African literature. His first novel ''Things Fall Apart'' ( ...

: The Coming of Age of African Literature?", with a keynote address by Henri Lopès and presentations by

James Currey James Currey is an academic publisher specialising in African Studies that since 2008 has been an imprint of Boydell & Brewer. It is named after its founder, who established the company in 1984. It publishes on a full spectrum of topics—incl ...

Margaret Busby Margaret Yvonne Busby, , Hon. FRSL (born 1944), also known as Nana Akua Ackon, is a Ghanaian-born publisher, editor, writer and broadcaster, resident in the UK. She was Britain's then youngest publisher as well as the first black female book p ...

and others in honour of Achebe.Evelyn Osagie
"Echoes of Achebe’s works at writers’ show"
''The Nation'' (Nigeria), 25 November 2015. In 2017, the keynote address at a colloquium marking the 24th International African Writers' Day was given by President Nana Addo Akufo-Addo.

Activities

PAWA has engaged in activities that have included conferences, readings, lectures, performances, visits, writing competitions and training, as well as honouring African writers."Chronicles of PAWA Activities (1989–2013)".
/ref> Many leading African thinkers and writers have played prominent roles PAWA's activities, including Nobel Laureates

Wole Soyinka Wole Soyinka , (born 13 July 1934) is a Nigerian author, best known as a playwright and poet. He has written three novels, ten collections of short stories, seven poetry collections, twenty five plays and five memoirs. He also wrote two transla ...

and

Nadine Gordimer Nadine Gordimer (20 November 192313 July 2014) was a South African writer and political activist. She received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, recognised as a writer "who through her magnificent epic writing has ... been of very great ben ...

, Emeritus Professor

J. H. Kwabena Nketia Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia (22 June 1921 – 13 March 2019) was a Ghanaian ethnomusicologist and composer. Considered Africa's premier musicologist, during his lifetime, he was called a "living legend" and "easily the most published and best ...

, Professor Femi Osofisan,Craig Eisele on �
"Pan African Writers’ Association Discusses African Unity"
5 December 2007. Prof. Ali Mazrui, and others.

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

Pan African Writers' Association
on Facebook * Kofi Akpabli

''Graphic Online'', 16 September 2016. Organizations established in 1989 Pan-Africanism in Ghana Writers' organizations Cultural organisations based in Ghana 1989 establishments in Ghana African writers