Organisers of the DAkpabli National Readathon have released the star list of the much-awaited 2020 Reading Season at a short ceremony in Accra.

The next edition of the roadshow, which comes off on June 13 is a three-hour fiesta of reading pleasure will be streamed live on Zoom.

‘‘What makes this event special is the star-studded list of distinguished authors to be paraded,” said Nana Elikem, Chief Coordinator of the National Readathon.

“After being holed up for several weeks owing to Covid 19, Ghanaians should gear up to be serenaded by the magical performance of words,’’ Elikem added.

Cutting across different generations with varied backgrounds, the featured guests are Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng, Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng, Amma Ampong Agyeman-Prempeh, Alba K. Sumprim and Nana Awere Damoah.

The rest are Bisi Agyepon, Audrey Obuobisa-Darko, Marjorie Boafo Appiah aka Marjy Marj and Kofi Akpabli.

The National Readathon is an initiative, which seeks to promote book reading for pleasure across Ghana as well as local authorship.

Since its inception six years ago, it has served patrons in seven cities across the southern half of Ghana with plans to extend the campaign to the rest of the regions.

The readings will be in three sessions and will be moderated by a team to be announced later. Patrons can join via https://zoom.us/j/96952383928 or use the meeting ID: 96952383928 on Zoom.

The following is the list of authors and a short profile about them.  

Alba K Sumprim has been writing for as long as she can remember and regularly flips through, with a wry smile, the stacks of notebooks that contain what can only be described as the melodrama of her teenage years. She is the author of The Imported Ghanaian and A Place of Beautiful Nonsense.  She graduated from Escuela International de Cine y Television (EICTV), the Cuban film school, as an Editor and worked on several short and independent film projects in Cuba and London before moving back to Ghana, where she now earns her living writing screenplays, television programmes, producing and directing television commercials. She has been on the writing and editing team of the BBC World Services Trust Radio drama, ‘Story Story, Voices from the Market,’ for over six years. She was a writer and director for the BBC WST television drama, entitled, ‘Wetin Dey!’ She lives in Accra, where she is regularly accused of being Senegalese, Malian, Ivorian, Liberian, Kenya or Zimbabwean, in fact, any other nationality but Ghanaian.

Bisi Adjapon is the writer of the critically acclaimed novel, Of Women and Frogs, one of Daily Trust's Top 15 novels of 2018. The short story version of Of Women and Frogs was nominated for the Caine Prize. A former International Affairs Specialist, her writings have appeared in journals and newspapers including McSweeney's Quarterly, Washington Times, Brittle Paper and Chicken Bones. Bisi has been a featured guest at Ake Festival and Pa Gya as well as numerous TV and radio programs.

Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng grew up in Tarkwa and Prestea in Ghana's Western Region. He was educated at Opoku Ware School in Kumasi and the University of Ghana, where he earned a B. A. in French and Political Science. He undertook further studies in law at City University and the College of Law, both in London. Following this, he worked briefly with the Legal Services Commission in London before going on to work for various law firms specialising in immigration advice and advocacy.

He returned to live in Ghana in April 2011, and is currently the Press Secretary to the Minister of Education. Rodney Nkrumah-Boateng, popularly known as the Facebook MP, is the author of three books including FaceOff with the International ‘MP’ and Abrokyire Nkomo.

Marjorie Boafo Appiah aka Marjy Marj is a visionary, management consultant, author and speaker. She has leveraged her public speaking experience to fundraise for organizations and to empower communities. She is a sought-after speaker who keeps the crowd entertained and engaged at all times. Marjy is the author of The Shimmigrant and Same Elephants. Her novel, The Shimmigrant, debuted as a number 1 new release in 2019. Same Elephants debuted as a top 10 release in March 2020.

Marjy is the founder of Innovation Abound, the vice chairman of the Hub City Writers Project Board of Directors and a literary advocate who believes in the importance of representation in literature.

Amma Ampong Agyeman-Prempeh is a certified bookworm. She shares her love for reading and writing on www.bookwormgh.com. She enjoys reading (auto)biographies – an opportunity to walk into another’s shoes if even for a brief moment. After completing Wesley Girls’ High School in Cape Coast, Ghana she went on to study for a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and French (with Honours) from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from University of Warwick, UK. She lives in Accra, Ghana with her family.

Motherhood 101, Amma's maiden publication by DAkpabli & Associates, was launched last year at PaGya! – a literary festival in Accra.

Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng is a Consultant in Communication, Media and Culture. He is immediate President of the Ghana Association of Writers and current chairman of the National Media Commission. Nana has, under his belt, within the region of forty years’ experience as a reporter, editor, writer, teacher and trainer. He began work formally as a journalist at Daily Graphic in 1982 as Staff Writer. He subsequently became Foreign News Editor and later had a stint as acting Editor. He also served as a part time lecturer at Vauxhall College in London and the European University Centre for Peace Studies in Austria. He currently provides training for both state and private sector institutions and is a columnist for The Mirror Newspaper.

Audrey Obuobisa-Darko is a Computer Science student at Ashesi University. She is an author, with two published books to her credit The Magic Basket, which was published when she was 12, and Wahala Dey, which she published at age 14. Audrey established a foundation in January 2018 to promote reading and writing skills in children. She recently made the long list for the K & L Prize, founded and sponsored by New Zealand-based Nigerian writer Myles Ojabo in 2018. The scheme awards $1000 (New Zealand) to the best piece of unpublished fiction. It was named after the kids of its founder Kyle and Leona.

Kofi Akpabli is a teacher and a writer whose latest work, A Breeder’s Tale has been featured in the Obsidian African Art and Literature Edition published by Illinois State University. He is a two-time winner of the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist for Arts and Culture. Kofi has also won GJA and National awards in Culture and Tourism. He writes a travel column Going Places in The Mirror newspaper, published weekly in Accra.

Amongst his books are: Harmattan – A Cultural Profile of Northern Ghana, Romancing Ghanaland: the Beauty of Ten Regions, A Sense of Savannah – Tales of a Friendly Walk through Northern Ghana, and Tickling the Ghanaian – Encounters with Contemporary Culture. Kofi is a member of Faculty, Central University. His scholarly interests include the research and dissemination of key values of African culture.

Nana Awere Damoah is currently a consultant and a businessman. He is also the co-founder of booknook.store – an online bookshop. Nana holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham and a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Supply Chain and Operations from the University of Liverpool.

In 1997, Nana won first prize in the Step Magazine National Writing Competition. In 2017, his story October Rush won first prize in the Ama Ata Aidoo Story Category of the GAW Awards. He is the author of eight books including: Nsempiisms, Sebitically Speaking, I Speak of Ghana, Tales from Different Tails, Through the Gates of Thought, and Excursions in my Mind.