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Oxford Street, Accra: City Life and the Itineraries of Transnationalism
In Oxford Street, Accra, Ato Quayson analyzes the dynamics of Ghana’s capital city through a focus on Oxford Street, part of Accra’s most vibrant and globalized commercial district. He traces the city’s evolution from its settlement in the mid-seventeenth century to the present day. He combines his impressions of the sights, sounds, interactions, and distribution of space with broader dynamics, including the histories of colonial and postcolonial town planning and the marks of transnationalism evident in Accra’s salsa scene, gym culture, and commercial billboards.
Quayson finds that the various planning systems that have shaped the city—and had their stratifying effects intensified by the IMF-mandated structural adjustment programs of the late 1980s—prepared the way for the early-1990s transformation of a largely residential neighborhood into a kinetic shopping district. With an intense commercialism overlying, or coexisting with, stark economic inequalities, Oxford Street is a microcosm of historical and urban processes that have made Accra the variegated and contradictory metropolis that it is today.
“Oxford Street, Accra offers a fresh portrait of a rising African metropolis by one of the most original and skilled critics of the African condition. Deeply researched and packed with detail and bold in scope and analysis, Oxford Street, Accra is a unique addition to the growing body of work on contemporary African Urbanism. This extraordinary book shows the extent to which the future of urban theory might well lie in the global South.” – Achille Mbembe, author of Critique de la raison négre.
KEY SELLING POINTS:
- Oxford Street, Accra is a must-buy as an invaluable companion and compass for both newcomers and returning visitors to Accra.
- Oxford Street, Accra was chosen as one of the ‘UK Guardian’s 10 Best City Books of the World in 2014.’
- Oxford Street, Accra was also the Co-Winner of ‘The Urban History Association’s Top Award in the International Category For Books Published About World Cities in 2013 – 2014.’
- Oxford Street, Accra contains an encyclopedic knowledge of the City of Accra, tracing the city’s evolution from its settlement in the mid-seventeenth century to the present day.
- The book offers a microcosm of historical and urban knowledge of the making of the city that have transformed Accra into the sophisticated metropolis that is it today.
₵160.00 -
It Takes A Woman: A Life Shaped by Heritage, Leadership and the Women Who Defined Hope
It Takes a Woman retraces the early life of Agyeman‐Rawlings who rose to prominence as the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana (1982-2000). She redefined the privilege of serving a nation, and sought every platform to champion the causes of underserved citizenry and women. While her husband, former President Jerry John Rawlings, embarked on a relentless pursuit of transforming Ghana into a model of African democracy, Mrs. Agyeman-Rawlings founded the 31st December Women’s Movement (the 31st DWM), an organisation which played a pivotal role in the empowerment of women, and in addressing issues of systemic gender inequality, not only in Ghana but across the African region.
Born in an era when women were overtly marginalised, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings’ strong relationship with her father, mother and family elders formed the core of much of her formative years. Fortified by her unique family history, she was raised to never accept the notion that “there were some things she could not do, simply because she was a woman.”
The narrative captures the family history of a spirited little girl, and as she walks us through the refreshingly detailed scenes from her childhood, we are transported to a hopeful and quintessential Ghana, where a sense of national pride resounded powerfully at the time of independence. But as she recalls Ghana’s struggles post-independence, we are also confronted face to face with her juxtaposed emotions of elation and frustration, hurt and joy, certainty and dread. She was not to know that her personal life being upended early one morning in 1979 would also become a turning point in the nation’s history and would thrust her into the glare of international publicity.
It Takes a Woman, written with unflinching candour, is an absorbing portrait of a life devoted to public service and shaped by heritage. Above all, it is an account of resilience. The voices of the women who stood tall will forever inspire Agyeman-Rawlings to stand for many more whose voices may not be loud enough to stand on their own.
₵170.00 -
Ashawo Diaries: Tales of Adwoa Attaa
A most intriguing intercourse of tragedy and sex
The titillating intrigues of a good bad girl…delightful reading: sometimes light, sometimes dark; always with ponderous insights! – Koku Dotse
Ashawo Diaries makes for engaging reading, and beyond connecting with earlier literary forebears, it is important to think about how such a novel enters the Ghanaian social landscape where sex is traditionally a public taboo. Ashawo Diaries is a text that challenges sanitized perspectives of Ghana. – Kwabena Opoku-Agyemang, Lecturer, Department of English, University of Ghana, Legon
[The author] is zealous towards unearthing the ills of society. I describe her as the “perfect role model of today’s world”. I am not surprised she took this bold step to write this story. Though bold for our traditional society, l am of the view that she held the bull by the horn. The story…will surely leave readers scratching their heads with excitement. – Dr (Mrs.) Nana Ama Pokuaa Arthur, Lecturer, KNUST
A thrilling page-turner. Amoafowaa is fluid in narration, and succinct in description. – Rebecca Obuobisa-Darko, Personnel Officer, Ga East Municipal Education Directorate
Cecila’s Ashawo Diaries is storytelling meddled in art, obviously, science and a game of the protagonist. Daring diary entries with erotic sprinkles, gripping and sustaining, which depicts the struggles of a native daughter in contrast to Richard Wright’s native son, the zigzag turns of life and the map of love, friendship, pleasure, identity, re-identity as compasses at each turn. Poetically written and with a feminist undertone. – Grace Ihejiamaizu, Lecturer, University of Calabar, Founder of IKapture and Opportunity Desk, Nigeria
Ashawo Diaries raises queries on why young girls should experience sexual suppression in a cultural context like Ghana where children are valued, moral standards are held high and sexual discussions silenced. – Dr. Georgina Yaa Oduro, Director, Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD), University of Cape Coast
₵90.00 -
Jungle Dance
Jungle Dance is a euphemism for a myriad of issues, roles, relationships and routes. It is a picture of what the corporate world is – challenging but rewarding also. It captures feelings of despondency, rejection and confusion interlaced with the triumphs, friendships and love that two women experience in their corporate journeys.
“Steeped in realism, yet fictional, emotional pet detached, almost biographical but not exactly that, a mishmash yet lucid – that’s what you get when you get an astute and observant corporate person doing a foray into fiction. You get real life drama in an imaginative narrative. Come let’s dance in this jungle of words.” – Nana Awere Damoah, Writer/Engineer
“Petra takes on an uncommon theme like the corporate world and tells a story from the lenses of her own experiences. This is a fictional work that ends up being real, motivational and romantic!” – Ama Pratt, Broadcast Journalist
“Riveting and gripping. A complete story about life in the corporate world and its vicissitudes — told with the sense of African love for family. A quintessential modern African story.” – Yaw Ofosu Larbi, Broadcast Journalist
₵55.00Jungle Dance
₵55.00 -
The Matriarch’s Verse
I am a mongrel; a mixed breed of Ga, Ewe, Akuapem, English, Middle-Eastern and American cultures; I am a Third Culture Kid.
Apiorkor’s socio-cultural experiences are interesting and might appear to be unique. But the truth is that there are several other Ghanaians who are secret sharers of her life. Such people lack access to platforms that would allow them to tell their collective story, so that their societies and communities can re-think all of the things that affect them.
Happily, Apiorkor is an artist over matter and over emotions. She possesses a mastery over words and over the essences of life. Many Ghanaian men, women and children are like her.
And her voice represents their voices.
In this sensational collection, The Matriarch seeks to celebrate, shock, tickle, challenge and highlight our Ghanaian-ness in the 21st Century. The author peppers our imagination with the following:
What does it mean to be Ghanaian?
How have we progressed?
Why do we stand for the things we stand for?
Who really is the modern Ghanaian woman?
Where is the global place for the urban Ghanaian space?
₵55.00The Matriarch’s Verse
₵55.00 -
Resilience: Reflections From a Widow’s Diary
Available on 21st July, 2023
The book is about a young Ghanaian lady who lost her husband and decided to pick the pieces of her life and live for herself and her children. In this book, you will find how the author has motivated herself throughout this journey and has attributed her ability to survive to the grace of God. She also shares some lessons on her journey of grief, childhood experiences that has shaped who she is, among others.
It is a deeply moving memoir of grief, and love, that ushers the readers into the life of a widow in a way that embraces and transcends expectations. This book reveals the raw emotions of her loss and the profound impact her husband left on her life, and the woman she has become after the loss. As much about life as it is about death, the book proves that regardless of the situation, love and hope have the power to survive.
₵100.00 -
The Teller of Secrets (Ouida Edition)
In this stunning debut novel—a tale of self-discovery and feminist awakening—a feisty Nigerian-Ghanaian girl growing up amid the political upheaval of late 1960s postcolonial Ghana begins to question the hypocrisy of her patriarchal society, and the restrictions and unrealistic expectations placed on women.
Young Esi Agyekum is the unofficial “secret keeper” of her family, as tight-lipped about her father’s adultery as she is about her half-sisters’ sex lives. But after she is humiliated and punished for her own sexual exploration, Esi begins to question why women’s secrets and men’s secrets bear different consequences. It is the beginning of a journey of discovery that will lead her to unexpected places.
As she navigates her burgeoning womanhood, Esi tries to reconcile her own ideals and dreams with her family’s complicated past and troubled present, as well as society’s many double standards that limit her and other women. Against a fraught political climate, Esi fights to carve out her own identity, and learns to manifest her power in surprising and inspiring ways.
Funny, fresh, and fiercely original, The Teller of Secrets marks the American debut of one of West Africa’s most exciting literary talents.
₵165.00 -
Daughter in Exile: A Novel
The acclaimed author of The Teller of Secrets returns with a gut-wrenching, yet heartwarming, story about a young Ghanaian woman’s struggle to make a life in the US, and the challenges she must overcome.
Lola is twenty-one, and her life in Senegal couldn’t be better. An aspiring writer and university graduate, she has a great job, a nice apartment, a vibrant social life, and a future filled with possibility. But fate disrupts her world when she falls for Armand, an American Marine stationed at the U.S. Embassy. Her mother, a high court judge in Ghana, disapproves of her choice, but nothing will stop Lola from boarding a plane for Armand and America.
That fateful flight is only the beginning of an extraordinary journey; she has traded her carefree existence in Senegal for the perilous position of an undocumented immigrant in 1990s America.
Lola encounters adversity that would crush a less-determined woman. Her fate hangs on whether or not she’ll grow in courage to forge a different life from one she’d imagined, whether she’ll succeed in putting herself and family together again. Daughter in Exile is a hope-filled story about mother love, resilience, and unyielding strength.
₵120.00Daughter in Exile: A Novel
₵120.00 -
Louisa
Louisa’s dream of attending the best senior high school in the country materializes when she gains admission to St. Nicolas. Her assertiveness leads her into a confrontation with Paul, the class bully which nearly gets her killed.
The events following this incident further portray the protagonist’s will to achieve her goals no matter what.
₵75.00Louisa
₵75.00 -
Aya
Okornore is a sorceress of words. And in the worlds she has created in this work, the reader is roller-coastered across places and spaces much deeper than the footprints she had splashed across cultures. The issues she scopes out are scheduled in a time capsule of infinite temporalities.
Soul! is what screams at you when you journey through page after page of this delicious collection. From the heavenly to the banal, from the questions of our time to the quest of ages, Aya provides a sounding board for what it means to be human. These sweet verses, minted from the heart of a cosmopolitan citizen, secrete mystery and creativity
Sometimes sassy, sometimes philosophical, Okornore nourishes the desire to read on and connect with a soulful source of erudition.
Aya is a harvest of possibilities.
₵60.00Aya
₵60.00 -
The Leading Lady Way
Author and leadership development expert activist, Yawa Hansen-Quao, is excited to announce the release of her latest book, “The Leading Lady Way.” This powerful guidebook is designed to inspire and equip women to step into their leadership potential and make a difference in their personal and professional lives.
“The Leading Lady Way” offers practical and actionable advice for women and girls who want to develop their leadership skills and find their authentic voice. Through a combination of personal stories, expert insights, and profiles of other women leaders, readers will learn how to overcome self-doubt, communicate effectively, and lead with purpose.
“I wrote ‘The Leading Lady Way’ to empower women to embrace their leadership potential and make a lasting impact in their and beyond,” says author Yawa Hansen-Quao. “Whether you’re a student, an executive, an entrepreneur, or a stay-at-home mom, this book will inspire you to lead with confidence and purpose.”₵150.00The Leading Lady Way
₵150.00 -
Daughters of Zelophehad
Through this book, you will be introduced to a little-known Bible story about five remarkable women– the Daughters of Zelophehad. The story resonates with women who are destined for greatness because it reveals so many truths about women’s leadership and presents an example for any women aspiring to influence her society today. Women of Africa are at a unique crossroad. For too long, the stories told about us have been stories of death, disease, and vulnerability. Yet, there is so much potential. There are big ideas planted in the hearts of women and girls across this continent and the world is waiting for this greatness to manifest. By seeing yourself through the lens of the Daughters of Zelophehad, be prepared to be spurred to live a life of inspired, purposeful leadership predicated on the wisdom of God.
₵50.00Daughters of Zelophehad
₵50.00 -
The Bittersweet Pill of Politics: My Memoirs
The Bittersweet Pill of Politics chronicles the author’s experiences in Ghana’s political landscape and reveals intriguing themes.
“The passion, clarity, detail and narrative power with which Amma writes her memoirs, which are inextricably interwoven with the political odyssey of her inimitable brother, late Prime Minister Kofi Busia, through the 1950s and 60s make her story classic”. – H.E. J.A. Kufour, President of the Republic of Ghana (January 2001 – January 2009)
“The Bitter Sweet Pill of Politics shows unparalleled courage exhibited by a woman whose passion for democracy, unquenchably desire and thirst for political power for her political tradition. The book also discusses how she actively and passionately played substantial roles in the governance structure of her country. She agrees with Maimonides, a Jewish Philosopher, that ‘The risk of a wrong decision is preferable to the terror of indecision’. Her resilience is extraordinary and legendary”. – Yaw Osei-Amoako, Manager, Election 2016 situation Room, NPP; Former Chairman, NPP, Toronto, Canada
“By the time she is narrating the memoirs of her life in The Bitter Sweet Pill of Politics, Amma Bame Busia has become the matriarch of the legendary Busia family. Her focus is on her brother, Kofi Busia, Prime Minister of the Second Republic, whose life as she captures in the vivid narrative would seem to have more of the bitter than the sweet bit of the political pill. But she paints a more rounded picture of him than can be found anywhere else. Her narrative encompasses far more than her own interesting life story. She fills many holes in the story of Ghana’s political history. – Elizabeth A. Ohene, Writer, Columnist
₵200.00 – ₵250.00The Bittersweet Pill of Politics: My Memoirs
₵200.00 – ₵250.00 -
A Bit of Me
A powerful, motivational and uplifting book by Oheneyere Gifty Anti. A Bit of Me inspires readers to be the best version of themselves.
Oheneyere Gifty Anti, CEO of GDA Media shares nuggets about overcoming life’s struggles.
“A Bit of Me is too much of somebody’s life on open display for everyone to benefit from. The greatest treasures on earth are the stories of people’s lives which they generously share to encourage, warn and bless others. Reading A Bit of Me will transform and translate you to a higher level. This book simply says if I am alive and moving, you can also make it.” — Rev. Eastwood Anaba
Oheneyere is a multiple award-winning broadcast journalist and a well-respected motivational speaker in Africa and around the world. A proud product of Mfantsiman Girls Secondary School, she holds a Diploma in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and a Masters Degree in International Journalism from City University, London. Oheneyere is the President and founder of the Girl in Need Foundation and the Awo Dansoa Reading Project. She is married to Nana Ansah Kwao IV, Chief of Akwamu Adumasa. She is a woman of crazy super faith.
₵45.00A Bit of Me
₵45.00 -
Same Elephants
Marjy Marj’s anticipated follow-up to The Shimmigrant is an enlightening, introspective, heartwarming novel about four friends from diverse backgrounds. Sasha Badu is an immigrant in search of a better life. After meeting Rakiya Muhammad, Jane Taylor and Aviva Schwartz at a political event, the four become fast friends. When Sasha and Rakiya are mistaken for trespassers, the friends embark on a quest to educate their community about the dangers of stereotyping.
Same Elephants explores everyday relationships, the presumptuous nature of society and the ability to rise above prejudice.
₵70.00₵85.00Same Elephants
₵70.00₵85.00