Audio By Carbonatix
Ghana’s iconic poet Prof Atukwei Okai has died.
The Secretary-General of the Pan African Writers Association of Ghana died at the Korle Bu Teaching hospital, Friday after a short illness.
Prof Akilakpa Sawyerr on behalf of the Odoi and Okai families confirmed the death of the national icon in a terse statement issued shortly after his death.
Prof Okai, 77, is noted for his excellent poetry recitation and is believed to be one of the first real poetry performers to have emerged in Africa.
His performances on radio and television include an acclaimed 1975 appearance at poetry international at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London where he shared the stage with US poets Stanley Kunitz and Robert Lowell, and Nicolas Guillen of Cuba.
Prof Okai was survived by a wife and five daughters.
Latest Stories
-
Loud and green : Young climate advocate calls for a shift from single-use plastics to tackle flooding
32 seconds -
Ocean Harmony Project founder warns plastic pollution is entering the human food chain through fish
10 minutes -
Ghana’s floods are behavioural disasters, not natural ones – Environmental advocates
23 minutes -
Nigeria clinches $10,000 grand prize as 4th ECOWAS Regional Cybersecurity Hackathon 2026 ends in Accra
2 hours -
AGI partners Danish industries to advance value chain sustainability
3 hours -
Missing UCC student found dead as police launch investigations
3 hours -
Aflao border plunged into darkness, exposing travellers to attacks – Union Secretary
3 hours -
ECOWAS unites on minerals, industrialisation to power AfCFTA
3 hours -
Oti House of Chiefs to unveil 7-member committee on Nkwanta South conflict
3 hours -
Be advocates of modern parenting – Adaklu DCE
3 hours -
Ketu North MCE advocates agricultural mechanisation to boost productivity
3 hours -
The Thomas Partey Case: Presumption of innocence, sovereignty and the World Cup
3 hours -
Parents urged not to give away children due to poverty
3 hours -
Konongo crash leaves multiple injured
4 hours -
Book Launch: Political Economy of Institutionalising Monitoring & Evaluation Practice in Africa
4 hours