The wife of former Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Samira Bawumia, has urged young writers to use literature to preserve the nation's cultural identity and heritage.
She said their works must reflect the country's history, values and experiences to shape how future generations understand and appreciate their heritage.
“If we don't tell our story, who will?” she asked, appealing for more Ghanaian stories that reflected the country's experiences and cultural perspectives.
Mrs Bawumia was speaking at the Samira Bawumia Literature Prize (SBLP) Awards and Literary Night at Alliance Française d’Accra last Friday, where 30 young writers received awards in the fiction, non-fiction and poetry categories.
The ceremony was held on the theme: “Reimagining Africa: Folktales for the Next Generation.”
The event also featured readings from some of the winning entries by Mrs Bawumia, drawing applause from an audience made up of academics and literary enthusiasts.
Keeping stories alive
Mrs Bawumia said it was important to raise a generation of children familiar with Ghanaian perspectives, particularly as they encountered literary works from different parts of the world.
The event with the audience
She explained that stories were not merely products of imagination but also reflections of a people's history, values, experiences and understanding of the world.
She said Ghana's literary heritage should not be seen as something belonging only to the past but as a living tradition that must continue to evolve, inspire and reach new audiences.
She, therefore, encouraged young writers to produce stories that children could enjoy, understand and identify with, while giving fresh life to familiar folktales and cultural narratives.
Mrs Bawumia also urged aspiring writers to overcome self-doubt and participate in the next edition of the competition.
She said their contributions could inspire children, challenge stereotypes and help preserve the country's cultural heritage.
On efforts to promote reading and literacy, Mrs Bawumia highlighted the Samira Empowerment and Humanitarian Projects (SEHP) Library in a Box initiative, which had distributed more than half a million books to schools across the country without libraries.
She said the initiative complemented the literature prize's objective of promoting reading and learning.
She further disclosed that all 30 award winners would have their works published in an anthology.
She expressed the hope that the initiative would encourage more Ghanaian writers to publish their works and contribute meaningfully to the country's literary development.
Giving an account of the growth of the prize, the Project Assistant of SBLP, Gretel Anobel, said the initiative had received more than 3,000 submissions from all 16 regions, up from 1,629 entries in its maiden edition.
She said the prize had shortlisted 90 writers and published 59 authors in two anthologies, All Ghana a Stage and We Move Ghanaian Dream in Motion.
