Amu Djoleto Explained

Solomon Alexander Amu Djoleto (born 22 July 1929) is a Ghanaian writer and educator.^[1]

Life

Amu Djoleto was born at Manyakpogunor, Manya Krobo, Ghana, the son of Frederick Badu, a Presbyterian minister, and Victoria Shome Tetteh, "a modest trader".^[1] He was educated at Accra Academy and St. Augustine's College, Cape Coast before reading English at the University of Ghana. He joined Ghana's Ministry of Education in the 1960s as a teacher and education officer. After studying textbook production at the Institute of Education, University of London, he returned to Ghana to edit the Ghana Teachers' Journal.^[2] At one point heading the Ministry of Education's publishing programme, he has continued to work for the Ministry of Education.^[3]

Djoleto contributed to the poetry anthologies Voices of Ghana (1958) and Messages (1970), and his poems were collected in Amid the Swelling Act.^[2] He is best known for his novels, the first of which was The Strange Man (1967).

Works

Novels

• The Strange Man, London, Heinemann, 1967. African Writers Series, no. 41.
• Money Galore, London [etc.]: Heinemann, 1975. African Writers Series, no. 160.
• Hurricane of Dust, 1987

Poetry

• Amid the Swelling Act, 1992

Children's books

• Obodai Sai, 1990
• Twins in Trouble, 1991
• The Frightened Thief, 1992
• The Girl who Knows about Cars, 1996
• Kofi Loses his Way, 1996
• Akos and the Fire Ghost, 1998

Other

• English practice for the African student, 1967
• (ed. with T. H. S. Kwami) West African Prose, Heinemann Educational Books, 1972.
• The Ghana Book Development Council: aims and objectives, 1976
• Books and reading in Ghana, 1985

Notes and References

1. Book: Sharon Malinowski. Black Writers: A Selection of Sketches from Contemporary Authors. 18 November 2012. 1994. Cengage Gale. 978-0-8103-7788-2. 194.
2. Book: G. D. Killam, Alicia L. Kerfoot. Student Encyclopedia of African Literature. 18 November 2012. 2008. ABC-CLIO. 978-0-313-33580-8. 109–110.
3. Book: S. A. Amu Djoleto. The Strange Man. 18 November 2012. 1968. Heinemann. 978-0-435-90041-0. 286.