Famous Ghanaian writer Ama Ata Aidoo dies at 81

Ama Ata Aidoo, a renowned Ghanaian author whose works The Dilemma of a Ghost and Changes were studied for years by students in West African schools, passed away at the age of 81.

The writer and poet, known for her feminist ideas, passed away on Wednesday, her family said in a brief statement.

"The family … with deep sorrow but in the hope of the resurrection, informs the general public that our beloved relative and writer passed away in the early hours of this morning Wednesday 31st May 2023, after a short illness,” read the statement signed by Kwamena Essandoh Aidoo, a representative of the family.

Aidoo started writing at age 15 and was born in a community in rural Ghana in 1942. She eventually chose to study literature at the University of Ghana, where she also taught for many years.

She became the first African woman to publish a play when her debut creation, The Dilemma of a Ghost, was released in 1965. She went on to become one of the most well-known writers on the continent and served as an inspiration for a new wave of writers, artists, and feminists.

Changes, a novel about an educated lady navigating the complications of a polygamous marriage, was written by Aidoo, who served as Ghana's minister of education from 1982 to 1983. Changes won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book.

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