Ama Ata Aidoo

Sometimes a word or an argument will trigger a poem.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Humans, not places, make memories.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Once in a while I catch myself wondering whether I would have found the courage to write if I had not started…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Once an interesting idea or theme occurs to me then I would want to write a poem about it. The rest, frankly,…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

I always wanted to write poetry, even when I was very young.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

O yes, everyone gets lonely some time or other. After all, if we look closer into ourselves, shall we not admit that…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

No matter what anybody says, we can't have it all. Not if you are a woman. Not yet.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Love is fine for singing about and love songs are good to listen to, sometimes even to dance to. But when we…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

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

The very old certainly do not go back on lunch remains but they do bite back at old conversational topics.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Toyin Falola has given us what is truly rare in modern African writing: a seriously funny, racy, irreverent package of memories, and…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

the best way to sharpen a knife is not to whet one side of it only. And neither can you solve a…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Its a sad moment, really, when parents first become a bit frightened of their children.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

“But what she also came to know was that someone somewhere would always see in any kind of difference, an excuse to…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Politicians are easy to attack, but frankly, we are all guilty of not meeting the needs of Africa's young people properly.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Africa is not fulfilling people's hopes and aspirations. African leaders have not had an agenda that included governing Africa so that people…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

I've written poems about gifts. Life is inspirational; sometimes it comes from the most unlikely places.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

It's a sad moment, really, when parents first become a bit frightened of their children.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Time by itself means nothing, no matter how fast it moves, unless we give it something to carry for us; something we…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

For us Africans, literature must serve a purpose: to expose, embarrass, and fight corruption and authoritarianism. It is understandable why the African…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

“Guilt is born in the same hour with pleasure, like anything in this universe and its enemy.”

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Because I am an African, I am a Ghanaian.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

Things are working out... towards their dazzling conclusions.

— Ama Ata Aidoo

At the age of 15, a teacher had asked me what I wanted to do for a career, and without knowing why…

— Ama Ata Aidoo

“A dog among the masters, the most masterly of the dogs.”

— Ama Ata Aidoo