Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy

Esi Sutherland-Addy is an Associate Professor of African Studies at the University of Ghana. Her main Research Interests are written and oral Literature, women’s literature, and educational and cultural policy. Her current research project entitled Oral Traditions and Expressive Diversity involving the collection and digitization of Ghanaian Oral Traditions. She has over 60 publications including Women Writing Africa-West Africa and the Sahel edited with Aminata Diaw. She was the Academic Associate Director of the African Humanities Program of the American Council for Learned Societies. Sutherland-Addy was Deputy Minister for Tourism and Culture (1986) and Higher Education (1986-1993) in the Republic of Ghana.

 Sutherland-Addy’s Civil Society Activities cover higher education, girls’ education, children, Pan-Africanism, culture and public space.   She has served on several national and international boards including the Ghana Commercial Bank, Open Society for West Africa, and The Commonwealth of Learning, and the Board of Trustees of the Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights. She currently serves on the executive committee of the Forum of African Women Educationalists (Ghana), Mmofra Foundation, and Beyond the Return Initiative. She chairs Afram Publications Ghana Ltd and the PANAFEST Foundation.

Emma Ofosua

"Emma Ofosua, is a Ghanaian freestyle Poet, and author of the debut "I wish you courage in the night season". 

She is the board chair of the Poetry Association of Ghana and founder of the All African Women Poetry Festival."

Expectations: We are excited to be hosting the Adinkra Poetry Prize as part of next year's All African Women Poetry festival. We look forward to an impactful time.

I am particularly excited to be serving alongside these distinguished artists as Judge.

Ko-Jo Cue

Ko-Jo Cue is a Ghanaian rapper, songwriter and journalist with an uncanny knack for storytelling following the tradition of the old griots of West Africa. Born Linford Kennedy Amankwaa, he describes himself as an African man telling African stories with an neo-African voice. His lyrical style is Introspective and socially conscious yet non-judgmental. He tells everyday stories from the viewpoint of a philosopher in search of answers. His music is a blend of Hip-Hop, Highlife and Afrobeats.

On November 5th 2019, He independently released his debut album For My Brothers to critical acclaim and fan appreciation. The album dubbed by many as the most important rap album since Obrafour’s Pae Mu Ka, spent weeks at the pinnacle of the Apple Music Charts in Ghana. It also earned him a nomination for Album of the Year at the 3 Music Video Awards. The album has done over 10 million streams till date.

He spent lockdown exploring his love for literature and put together a collection of poems which earned him a spot on the West African Writers Residency. The residency organized by LOATAD (Library Of Africa And The African Diaspora) helped him hone his writing and re-introduce himself to the Ghanaian literary community as a poet.

Linford loves books, music and football.

Expectations: I am very excited to be a part of this year’s Adinkra Poetry Prize selection committee and I can’t wait to read all the inspiring submissions from the amazing poets.

Apiokor

Apiorkor [Seyiram Ashong-Abbey] is a Ghanaian-American Poet, Writer/Author, Literary Scholar/Critic, Media Practitioner, TED Speaker and Activist. She is the author of "The Matriarch's Verse" and "When The Person Who is Called COVID Came" (two collections of Poetry, which are available on booknook.store and Amazon). She weaves poetic and journalistic styles together (Verse Journalism).

She is also the founder of TeamApiorkor - a group that runs on the tenets of Creative Entrepreneurship and Art Business, focusing on Creative Artist Development, Marketing & Communications, Creative Product Development, Creative Event Production and general consultancy for Artistic endeavours. In 2018, TeamApiorkor and Fablinks Media instituted The Matriarch's Verse Poetry Concert - Ghana's largest annual Poetry event, hosted by an individual artist, having featured over seventy Artists, with an audience of almost ten thousand people. She is a Fellow and the Moderator-in-Residence of the Institute of International Affairs, Ghana and an Editorial Advisor of the Influenc(Her) Project --- https://influencherproject.org/, working alongside phenomenal women to elevate the global voices of women; especially in Journalism. At Accra-based Citi 97.3 FM/Citi TV, she is the Head of Programmes Production and hosts "Diplomatic License" and "What's Cooking?".

Expectations: In my role as a judge for next year's edition of the Adinkra Poetry Prize, I eagerly anticipate discovering verses that seamlessly blend cultural richness with poetic finesse. I look forward to exploring work that not only showcases linguistic mastery, but also demonstrates a profound connection to the Adinkra symbols, offering a fresh perspective on their significance. My expectation is to encounter entries that transcend conventional boundaries, capture the multiplicity of cultures that the Adinkra symbols represent and push the boundaries of creativity, while authentically embracing the essence of the Adinkra tradition.