Joseph Wilfred Abruquah Explained

Joseph Wilfred Abruquah (1921 – 6 November 1997) was a Ghanaian novelist and educationist.

Early life and education

Abruquah was born in 1921 in the Gold Coast.^{[1] [2] [3]} He had his secondary education at Mfantsipim School and his tertiary education at King's College London.^[4] He obtained a diploma in Education from Westminster College, London.

Career

Upon his return to the Gold Coast, Abruquah taught at Keta Secondary School. He later succeeded Nathan Quao as Headmaster of the school in 1957. Abruquah held this post until 1963 when he moved to his alma mater Mfantsipim School to serve as the school's Headmaster. Abruquah served as Headmaster of the school until 1972.

Abruquah's first literary publication was; The Catechist,^{[5] [6]} an autobiography believed to have highlighted the ill-treatment meted to his father by the missionaries his father served. Abruquah followed this up with another novel entitled The Torrent. It is alleged that Abruquah was working on a third novel when he was relieved of his duties as Headmaster of Mfantsipim School. He consequently lost all interest in writing fictional novels.

Death

Abruquah died on 6 November 1997, at the age of 76.^[7]

Works

• The Catechist. G. Allen & Unwin, 1965.^[8]
• The Torrent. Longmans, 1968.

See also

• List of Ghanaian writers

References

1. Book: Owomoyela, Oyekan. The Columbia Guide to West African Literature in English Since 1945. 2008-10-21. Columbia University Press. 978-0-231-51215-2. en.
2. Book: Gérard, Albert S.. European-language Writing in Sub-Saharan Africa. 1986. John Benjamins Publishing. 978-963-05-3832-9. en.
3. Book: Gikandi, Simon. Encyclopedia of African Literature. 2003-09-02. Routledge. 978-1-134-58222-8. en.
4. Book: Killam. G. D.. The Companion to African Literatures. Killam. G. D.. Rowe. Ruth. 2000. Indiana University Press. 978-0-253-33633-0. en.
5. Book: Pettersson. Anders. Literary History: Towards a Global Perspective. Lindberg-Wada. Gunilla. Petersson. Margareta. Helgesson. Stefan. 2006. Walter de Gruyter. 978-3-11-018932-2. en.
6. Book: Priebe, Richard. Ghanaian Literatures. 1988. Greenwood Press. 978-0-313-26438-2. en.
7. Web site: Joseph Wilfred Abruquah obituary . UN Archives . 1 February 2023 . 6 . 2 June 1998.
8. Book: Africa Today. 1966. Indiana University Press. en.