Ama Ata Aidoo, who is considered as one of the most-celebrated feminist writers of Africa, died on May 31, 2023 in Ghana. She was 81-years-old.
The news of her death was shared by her family. The writer passed away after a brief illness her family said, requesting privacy to grieve at such a time.
Ata Aidoo was born on March 23, 1942 in a small village in Ghana. Her father is credited for opening the first school in their village and he had a huge influence on her. She was just 15-years-old when she decided to become a writer.
Ata Aidoo is best-remembered for her writings which depicted the modern African woman. Through her works, she tried to reject the “western perception that the African female is a downtrodden wretch”, she once told the BBC.
She worked as a university professor and she was also the education minister in Ghana during the 1980s. However, she resigned from her political post after she was unable to make education free for all.
Some of her notable works include: her 1977 semi-autobiographical novel 'Our Sister Killjoy' about a young woman traveling across Europe; 'Changes: A Love Story' about an African woman who divorces her husband and gets into a new relationship; among others. She won the 1992 Commonwealth writers’ prize for best African book for 'Changes: A Love Story'.
Her works are also widely read in schools in West Africa, which makes her an important influence on young readers and writers including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Expressing her grief on Ata Aidoo's death, Zimbabwean author-activist Tsitsi Dangarembga tweeted, “We have lost a granary of wisdom & knowledge.”
While, author Mona Eltahawy tweeted, “So sad to hear that author Ama Ata Aidoo has passed. An inspiration to feminists everywhere, especially us African feminists.”
