April 3, 2006, in this post, revealed a very excited E.K.Bensah Jr waxing lyrical about writing a novel.
And write he did, but it has waxed and proverbially waned.
I picked it up last Christmas, but have continued to postpone its writing because of work "pressures".
Then I think of a Ghanaian lawyer I saw on KSM's "Thank God it's Friday" programme on Ghana's Metro TV last two years who won a Commonwealth writing prize--despite his heavy schedule as a lawyer!!
Thing, though, was his book was on the usual African style of fiction--you know, set in an African village, traditional customs, conflicts, etc. That's all well and good, but I want more!
Can you imagine that I did a Google search for "Ghanaian crime writers", and I came up with "Youth crime" as the first entry; it's virtually non-existent! Contrast that with "British crime writers", and you find a LIST and even an ASSOCIATION!
Where are the Ghanaian crime writers?
Perusing further, I came across one Kwei Quartey (Afro-American mother, Ghanaian father) who had this to say about writing crime about Ghana:
"As a mystery writer, I'm drawn to Ghana because it provides a compelling background to any crime. The society is in rapid flux. Traditional clashes with modern. As affluence increases, so does the gap between the rich in their mansions and the poor in their shantytowns. Young people surge in vast numbers from the rural areas to the big cities in search of employment that often never materializes. Add to the mix drug lords, corrupt politicians and the mores of Ghana's generally conservative society, and we have a rich tableau indeed."
I don't know if it is "regrettable" as such, but my characters have no whiff of what Quartey calls "the physical world coexist[ing] with another realm of gods and their magical powers.". He is write when he opines that "These beliefs can considerably complicate a murder investigation"!
I might just be the first crime writer to go the atypical way of setting my story not in the traditional African setting! We'll see!
Some wise person once said "go where there is no path, and blaze the trail".
I guess I might just have to hurry up and finish that crime thriller I've been banging on about, no?
labels: ghana crime, ghana crime writing
4 comments:
Push ahead, man. I'm sure it will be a great read.
I was at the top of your post reading and remembering I read about "that guy, what was his name???" and then half way down the post there it is! Mr Quartey. I really want to get hold of his book. I think perhaps it has to do with not that many writers full stop. I notice that people just don't read that much (many STC trips and informal survey each time--I hardly see anyone reading a book on long trips) and imagine that that affects the likelihood of developing a culture of writers. So, indeed, blaze the trail. Be one of the first. I wonder if my theory would hold up in Nigeria and if they have many readers because they've churned out their fair share of writers. Or maybe it's just having a larger population. I don't know.
Anyway, go for it. I have tonnes of good info on writing techniques and web links so let me know if you want some of those. Good luck.
Nana Yaw--thanx for the encouragement!!!
Gayle--I notice that our reading culture is poor, too! Just look at the quality of our newspapers, and you will understand why!:-)
thanks for passing by and providing the link. I say go for it. The market is there... people would buy it. Just don't give. I used to write poems only but now I am trying my hands at short stories. You would be there soon
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