Engrossed by the themes of a socio-complex writer,
whose radar is en route to recover the welfare of race, womanhood and common
humanity
An interview with Nana Yeboaa, by Darko Antwi.
DARKO:
If there is any single contemporary Ghanaian poem whose social depth has
engrossed audience, and received a wholesome critique, for my Husband an Educated Fool stands out. How do you feel being
the author of such extraordinary title?
NANA: The tittle of the poem itself speaks volume, it speaks to truth
telling. As writers or authors, we are influenced by our social, cultural and
political environments. The poem was written to address an issue that was
concerning to the African woman, the influence of western education, cultures
and systems on a family unit operating in a traditional sense. The clash
between the educated (upper class male elite) and the uneducated
(village/local/lower class female).
DARKO: To what extent is your latest book, Roots of a Woman, cast on the immigration experiences of the
Afro-Canadian feminine population?
NANA: As a Ghanaian Canadian or African Canadian, I cannot speak for
the whole African Canadian population. The reason being that even though we
share a diaspora experience, the breadth and depth differs due to our various
backgrounds. Nonetheless, in roots of a
woman, one can, I presume appreciate a yearning and appreciation of culture, of
home whether it is Ghana, Nigeria, Jamaica or Haiti. There is a nostalgic
feeling of African /black motherhood and or womanhood. Collectively, we as a
group fight a common fight. That is, acknowledgement, respect and for our
families. We are black women whose voices are often silenced, however as
storytellers, authors such as myself seek to share and tell stories from home
(Ghana) and stories of experience of our new homes (Canada).
DARKO: Against
the background of predominantly illiterate continent, how effective is
literature (as a tool) in the women’s rights and equality campaign?
NANA:
Illiteracy has been used to condone the African. From a western perspective, if
you cannot read and write in English or French or any colonial language (which
we predominantly do), you are deemed illiterate. In this regards, if we are to
use literature as a tool for women’s rights and equality campaign, there needs
to be appreciation for all aspects of literature, the oral storytelling as
well. A better development,
understanding and appreciating of the oral narratives reach and educate more
people in the hinter land. Music as part of storytelling. It’s accessible to more people than the reach of books. This is
not to say that we do not encourage reading and writing in colonial languages
as well. A complete and equitable (equality) campaign must embrace all parts of
the African literary traditions.
DARKO: As a public affairs host of Literary Voices, at Toronto’s DORC Radio, have you any sign to
believe that the next generation of the Ghanaian Diaspora may lose some basic
values of their culture to the evolving trends of the Western Hemisphere?
NANA: The older generation who immigrated years ago has lost part of
their basic values of their culture, which they deemed backwards. As they have
castigated their cultural beliefs and taken others as their own, the question
becomes, how much could they transfer to their children. Language is one such
factor. The language which often holds cultural nuances are being lost upon our
children because of sometimes unconscious colonial mental subjugation and
elevation of colonial languages. Our traditional languages / mother tongues are
not spoken with our children.
Irrespective of this, I
must say, the recent year of return and afro beats music has made the African a
“cool cat” in the Western Hemisphere.
DARKO: In 2009 summer interview
with Rob Taylor, you stated that “In order to fight [racial] prejudice, there
needs to be a sense of value in society, and an acknowledgment that we all
bring something positive to the world”. A decade after that statement, do you
have any cause to believe that it’s a system that requires a complex approach
than you thought?
NANA: My understating and approach to racial injustice and how to
fight it has changed. I do believe that more writers of African descent (by this,
I include diasporas as well) need to write the narrative of the African experience.
We need a voice or presence and inclusion. We need to create and demand our
space and place in the world. We need to change our mindset, decolonize,
imagine and re-imagine Africa and her children all around the world. We need to
tell the African narrative, retell and tell of the futuristic Africa we want to
see. This is a complex approach. But it could be realized through economics,
politics, and definitely literature.
DARKO: In almost every International Day of the African Child, you have
celebrated African childhood. On that interest, could you share your hope in
the plight of the modern African child?
NANA: I believe the modern
African child lives in an era that his life can be transformed. By this; I mean
through technology. Technology gives access to information sharing across the
globe. Access and use of hi-tech leap-frogs them into the future far advance
than ours. Through the use of technology, imaginations have been brought to
light. Scientific and engineering break-throughs have been brought about.
Albeit, that many
children still suffer due to misaligned greed by adults. The plight of the
African child can be changed when we listen, acknowledge and share their stories.
We should, as well, engage and support their hopes, dreams and aspirations.
A celebration of African
childhood has always looked at the negative of the struggles of the child, but
not the triumphs that some have and continue to achieve, thus inciting hope.
Africa is rising to
claim its place in the world. What we as adults need is to encourage an African
story that is authentic to the African, and to instill pride in our children and
the subsequent generations. We ought to teach children to dream, and to reach
impossible dreams. With visionary leaders, the African of tomorrow can and will
transform. In light of International Day of the African Child, we also
appreciate the children and youth who stood and fought for their rights.
African children also have rights.
DARKO: Apart from a few hundred released copies, your poetry, Lamentations by the Banks of the Volta,
has since 2014 been available via electronic means. Is it suggestive that the
fraction of ebook sales is higher than the physical version?
NANA: Since I work more with individual book shops, I find the sales
better, I am not an expert sales person online, so I since de-listed the book
in order to have full control.
DARKO: Your works (including anthologies you’ve been featured) have borne
your pen name, until
you recently introduced a middle name. Hasn’t that late
introduction affected the stability of your pseudonym brand?
NANA: Not in the least, it has rather given the sense of completeness.
It was also a rebranding strategy and reclamation of my personhood as an
African in the diaspora.
DARKO: At the malfunction / collapse of major blogs and national
journals, is there any reason left, in your estimation, for writers to explore
blogging and social media platforms?
NANA: Everyone needs an avenue to emerge from or to be listened to.
Social media has brought many unknown writers to our bedrooms. It has made
literature in its various capacities accessible to people from all over the
world. If blogging is a “thing”, then I encourage, the more one writes, the
better one gets at their arts and craft. If Facebook or Instagram is it, then I
equally encourage. Voices need to be heard, everyone’s voice matters.
Read Previous Interviews here
Nana Yaa Yeboaa
Credit: Philjoe Multimedia
Nana Yaa Yeboaa is the pen name for Bernadette Poku, a graduate of York University, Toronto. She is a spoken word artist and performance poet. Some of her poetry material have appeared in the Taj Mal anthology, and T.dot Griot: an anthology of Toronto Black storytellers. In 2014 Yeboaa published her first collection of poetry: Lamentations by the Banks of Volta. Her latest book, Roots of a Woman, is available at Amazon.
Read Previous Interviews here
Nana Yaa Yeboaa
Credit: Philjoe Multimedia
Nana Yaa Yeboaa is the pen name for Bernadette Poku, a graduate of York University, Toronto. She is a spoken word artist and performance poet. Some of her poetry material have appeared in the Taj Mal anthology, and T.dot Griot: an anthology of Toronto Black storytellers. In 2014 Yeboaa published her first collection of poetry: Lamentations by the Banks of Volta. Her latest book, Roots of a Woman, is available at Amazon.