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One of the natural gifts that God has bestowed upon me is the art of storytelling. I discovered my passion for storytelling at a young age. As a child, I loved to captivate adults with my storytelling abilities, whether it was retelling my own version of stories from ‘My Book of Bible Stories’ or narrating tales about Ananse, the beloved Ghanaian folk hero.”
When I was in primary six, I wrote my first story. It was about a group of animals, with the lion serving as the hero. While I can’t recall the exact plot, I vividly remember the pride and encouragement my class teacher, Odeafour Owusu Mensah , showed me when I shared the story with him.
That same year, my headmistress’s brother visited from Europe with the goal of documenting African stories. Among all the children whose stories he recorded on cassette, I was chosen as the favourite storyteller, and he even presented me with my first dollar as a reward for my storytelling skills.”
I had the opportunity to write and act in my first drama, entitled ‘Had I Known,’ during my time in junior secondary school. As I prepared for my Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), I began to document the story that would eventually become my first published work, “Back to School Days.” This book played a crucial role in my journey to tertiary education and was a major milestone in my career as a writer.”
During my time at senior secondary school, my weekly drama performances became a popular source of entertainment for the entire school. In addition to acting, I also began writing a novel called “Biological Lovers,” which I serialized on the school’s notice board on a daily basis. Unfortunately, I have lost all of the other stories and poems that I wrote during this time.
After finishing secondary school, I returned to my hometown. There, I witnessed the ongoing chieftaincy conflict and the numerous development challenges facing the community. In response, I decided to use my passion for storytelling to make a difference. I began writing, directing, and performing several public plays with my drama group, BICY TALENT CLUB. Some of the stories I wrote included “Grandma’s Birthday,” “The Price of Rivalry,” “Bounce Back,” “The Black Stool,” and “Sika Aniberɛ.” These plays aimed to raise awareness and bring about positive change in my community.”
I also had the opportunity to write several stories for kids to perform at various functions, especially at school graduation ceremonies. It was a joy to see children bring my stories to life and share them with their peers and families.”
Through God’s grace, I was accepted to the University of Ghana, where I pursued a double major in Political Science and Theatre Arts. While at Legon, I had the opportunity to write and publish ‘Dangerous Resurrection,’ a Pan-African play. I also wrote “Death on Strike” as a tribute to my grandfather, which I presented as my final Playwright Project Work. These experiences at university helped me develop my skills as a creative writer and allowed me to share my stories with a wider audience.”
I am excited to announce that I will be publishing a story this year that I have spent ten years completing. The story, entitled ‘Esibu – Untold Story of Trafficked Child,’ addresses the disturbing issue of child trafficking and the ordeals that trafficked children face. I hope that this story will raise awareness about this important issue and make a difference in the lives of trafficked children.
I am proud to present to you my most recent published novel, ‘QUANSIMAH’, a gripping story that showcases the writing and storytelling talent that the Lord has generously endowed me with. This suspenseful tale is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats and demonstrate the full extent of my storytelling abilities – with support from my able wife and co-author, Baaba Okai.
If you have read to this far, then you deserve a reward! I am offering you a 14% discount on the book, QUANSIMAH. The book is available for the discounted price of Gh₵60.00 to only those who read this article. Please don’t hesitate to contact me on WhatsApp at 0249287855 to get your copy. Don’t forget to mention you read this piece of information.
Abeiku Okai
Novelist