Ghanaian poet and writer, Poetra Asantewa is displeased with the media for usually booking her for their shows only on International Women’s Day and International Poetry Day. 

In Joy FM’s entertainment discussion on Twitter Spaces hosted by Kwame Dadzie, Poetra said one of the ways of helping promote poetry is for the media to make it a priority but not consider it as ancillary.

“In terms of commercial avenues, the media has a part to play. There are two times that I am called by media companies in this country; and that is International Poetry Day and Women’s Day. It’s like every other time, I don’t exist. Poets don’t exist, women don’t exist,” she said.

Poetra added that in the wake of this, she has decided not to attend any programme by a media house during these two occasions. 

“So I have made a commitment that whenever anybody calls me for International Poetry Day, I decline. Because I want you to remember that I exist after International Poetry Day. Same for International  Women’s Day,” she noted.

She also noted that for poetry to thrive, there must be support systems provided by the country. 

“You can only be a poet if your country cares about you. And if your country cares about you to think of how will a poet thrive from the very minute they are in school, how will they fit into an economy regardless of what economy they are in or field,” Poetra added.

Born Ama Asantewa Diaka, Poetra is also a writer and a singer but prefers to be called a storyteller. In April 2022, she released a book titled ‘Woman, Eat Me Whole’, her debut collection exploring womanhood, the body, mental illness, and what it means to move between cultures.

‘Joy Entertainment Unpacked’, is a weekly Twitter Spaces conversation on Joy FM’s Twitter page.

This week’s discussion was about creating more commercial avenues for poets in Ghana.

Other speakers on the show were Chief Moomen (poet), Nana Asaase (poet), Emma Ofosua (poet, writer ), and Kwame Agyemang Berko (poet, writer).