Armah, Ayi Kwei

Abstract Ayi Kwei Armah (b. 1939) is a Ghanaian novelist, essayist, scholar, and short story writer. He is best known for his historical fiction depicting the advent of the Arabic and European slave trades in West Africa and the deleterious effects of colonialism and neocolonialism on African individuals, economies, institutions, and cultures. A pan‐Africanist, Armah's work depicts the ancient connections among African communities and exposes divisions imposed or exacerbated by colonialism. His influence on contemporary African literature began with his scathing 1968 critique of neocolonial corruption, The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born and the 1973 epic Two Thousand Seasons . His graphic fictional depictions of racialized, gendered violence sparked critical discussions of African literary conventions and historical precedent that became part of the early processes of shaping the theoretical foundations of postcolonial studies. Armah currently works as a speaker, translator, and Africana scholar, and, with Per Ankh, established a collective dedicated to publishing and promoting African creative and scholarly writing.