Organisers of the Manasseh & Friends Creative Writing Clinic have expanded the programme’s reach to the middle belt of the country, with the event to be held in Kumasi on September 5, 2026.

The other two venues will be Accra for the southern belt on August 29, 2026, and Tamale for the northern belt on September 12, 2026.

The first edition of the initiative was held in 2025 in the northern sector in Tamale and the southern sector in Accra.

Some participants travelled from the Ashanti and Bono regions to take part in Accra, prompting organisers to seek funding to expand the reach.

The Manasseh & Friends Creative Writing Clinic is an initiative of investigative journalist and author Manasseh Azure Awuni, aimed at inspiring a generation of storytellers and helping participants stand out in their writing.

Star Oil Ghana and MTN Ghana sponsored the maiden edition and are sponsoring the 2026 edition as well. The media partners are Joy 99.7 FM and myjoyonline.com, which offer participants platforms to publish their articles.

Participation is free for all successful applicants, including snacks, lunch, books, and souvenirs.

“This year, there will be free books for participants,” said Manasseh Azure Awuni. “We believe that reading is integral to writing, so our sponsors have been generous enough to sponsor free books for all participants.”

On the decision to expand the reach, Manasseh said the maiden edition witnessed an overwhelming interest, so the team decided to make it more accessible to participants.

“Since announcing this year’s edition, we have received requests from writers in other regions, asking when the clinic would be held in their home regions. For logistical and other constraints, we will have three venues for this year’s event, but we hope to upscale it in the future.”

The 2025 edition was facilitated by Maukeni Ribeiro, a communication strategist and writer; Abdul Hayi Moomen, a journalist, author, and head of communications at the University for Development Studies; and Manasseh Azure Awuni, who just graduated with a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Other writers are likely to join last year’s facilitators for the 2026 edition.

Participants will be guided through practical writing techniques and interactive exercises. They will also meet and network with a community of writers.

To participate in this year’s clinic, interested persons are to fill out an application form here and attach at least a 500-word writing sample or two poems.