About

Emeritus Professor Kofi Anyidoho is Professor of Literature in the Department of English at the University of Ghana and one of Africa’s most distinguished literary scholars, poets, and cultural intellectuals. Widely recognised for his contributions to African literature, oral tradition studies, Pan-African thought, and performance poetry, he has played a major role in shaping literary scholarship and cultural discourse both within Ghana and internationally. 

Over the course of his academic career, Professor Anyidoho has served in several important leadership positions within the University of Ghana, including Head of the Department of English, Acting Director of the School of Performing Arts, and Director of the CODESRIA African Humanities Institute Programme. He was also the first occupant of the prestigious Kwame Nkrumah Chair in African Studies at the University of Ghana.

His scholarly and creative achievements have earned him numerous national and international honours, and his work continues to influence generations of scholars, writers, students, and cultural practitioners across Africa and the diaspora.

Education

• PhD in Comparative Literature – University of Texas at Austin, United States
• MA in Folklore – Indiana University Bloomington, United States
• BA (Hons) English and Linguistics – University of Ghana
• Professional Teacher Training – Accra Training College and Advanced Teacher Training College, Winneba 

Research Interest

Professor Anyidoho’s scholarship is located at the intersection of literature, culture, history, performance, and African intellectual traditions.

His major research interests include:

• African Literature
• Oral Literature and Oral Traditions
• Comparative Literature
• Performance Poetry
• Folklore Studies
• African Cultural Studies
• Pan-African Studies
• Postcolonial Literature
• African Heritage Literatures
• Literary Criticism and Theory
• Ewe Oral Poetics
• Literature and Social Transformation

A central concern of his work has been the relationship between oral traditions and written literature in Africa. His research demonstrates how indigenous performance traditions continue to shape contemporary literary expression and cultural identity. He has also made important contributions to scholarship on African diasporic experiences, transnational cultural connections, and the intellectual foundations of Pan-Africanism. 

Publications

Professor Anyidoho is the author of several influential works of poetry and literary scholarship, including:

Poetry

• Elegy for the Revolution (1978)
• A Harvest of Our Dreams (1985)
• Earthchild (1985)
• Ancestral Logic and Caribbean Blues (1992)
• Praise Song for the Land (2002)
• The Place We Call Home and Other Poems (2011)

Scholarly Works

• The Pan African Ideal in Literatures of the Black World (1989)
• Transcending Boundaries: The Diaspora Experience in African Heritage Literatures (1995)
• The Word Behind Bars and the Paradox of Exile (Editor)
• FonTomFrom: Contemporary Ghanaian Literature, Theatre and Film (Co-editor)