This Earth, My Brother — Kofi Awoonor

In this debut novel, Kofi Awoonor brilliantly interweaves poetry and allegory into a profound tale of social corruption in post-colonial Ghana. Rooted in the African oral tradition, This Earth, My Brother paints a picture of post-independent Ghana through two distinctive narratives. In the first strand, we find Amamu, a young lawyer struggling to come to terms with his place amongst the new Ghanaian elite.

Frustrated by the debauchery of his peers, and the misery engulfing the country, he decides to leave. During his journey across Europe, Amamu is gripped with a different kind of spiritual alienation – one that he can’t run away from. Bridging the gaps between Amamu’s story are chapters of rich prose poetry that tell an allegorical tale of new Ghana.

From religious suffering to mermaids, Kofi Awoonor lyrically captures the inner workings of a man’s disturbed conscience and the conflicting realities of Ghana’s independence.

'Wonderfully musical prose.' - Guardian

'A great and powerful literary personality.' - Auma Obama