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Amma Darko

Ecrivain/ne
Ghana

English

She was born in Koforidua, Ghana, and grew up in Accra. She studied in Kumasi, where she received her diploma in 1980. Then she worked for the Science and Technology Center in Kumasi. During the eighties, she lived and worked for some time in Germany. She has since returned to Accra.

Her novels illustrate everyday life in Ghana. Her first novel, “Beyond the Horizon,” was originally published in German. Her most recent novels, “Faceless" and "Not without flowers",” were published in Ghana.

Her work has been discussed in the books Broadening the horizon : critical introductions to Amma Darko,[1] in the doctoral thesis "Writing her way : a study of Ghanaian novelist Amma Darko".[2] and in several academic journals [3]

•   Darko, Amma [1991] (1995). Beyond the horizon (Der verkaufte Traum).

•   Heinemann/Schmetterling-Verl.. ISBN 978-0-435-90990-1.

Amma Darko's first novel is influenced by her German impressions. She has observed the interaction between Germans and Ghanaian immigrants very well. The book is about a young woman, Mara, who follows her husband to Germany, not knowing that he has married a German in the meantime. Though the book deals with serious topics like illegitimate immigration, illegitimate marriage and prostitution, there is never any bitter morality in it.

Darko, Amma (1996). Spinnweben (Transl.:"Cobwebs"; no English version). Schmetterling-Verl.. ISBN 978-3-926369-17-8.

The second novel is a reflection about roots. There are dialogs between a Ghanaian living in German and the German friends around her.

Darko, Amma (2000). Verirrtes Herz (Transl.:"Stray heart"; no English version). Schmetterling-Verl.. ISBN 978-3-89657-119-9.

This is the first book which is completely set in Ghana. The young protagonist, Kesewa; is illiterate. She has to work hard for her parents and brothers and is not able to attend school regularly. In her adult life, she becomes distrustful and envious and causes a lot of trouble.

Darko, Amma (2003). Faceless (Die Gesichtslosen). Sub-Saharan Publishers/Schmetterling-Verl.. ISBN 978-9988-550-50-9.

Novel about a middle class woman coming into contact with street children. Those children are living in a part of Accra called “Sodom and Gomorrha”.

Source – Wikepedia
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