For us Africans, literature must serve a purpose: to expose, embarrass, and fight corruption and authoritarianism. It is understandable why the African artist is utilitarian. — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
Soyinka's Death at Dawn, Auden's Musée des Beaux Arts, Stevie Smith's Not Waving but Drowning and Wislawa Szymborska's Some People come to mind immediately. But there are plenty, plenty more that I enjoy. — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
Once in a while I catch myself wondering whether I would have found the courage to write if I had not started to write… — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
Once an interesting idea or theme occurs to me then I would want to write a poem about it. The rest, frankly, is not… — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
O yes, everyone gets lonely some time or other. After all, if we look closer into ourselves, shall we not admit that the warmth… — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
No matter what anybody says, we can't have it all. Not if you are a woman. Not yet. — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
Love is fine for singing about and love songs are good to listen to, sometimes even to dance to. But when we need food… — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
There are powerful forces undermining progress in Africa. But one must never underestimate the power of the people to bring about change. — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
The very old certainly do not go back on lunch remains but they do bite back at old conversational topics. — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
Toyin Falola has given us what is truly rare in modern African writing: a seriously funny, racy, irreverent package of memories, and full of… — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
the best way to sharpen a knife is not to whet one side of it only. And neither can you solve a riddle by… — Ama Ata Aidoo Copy Share Image
