PAWA & WAFORD: The Living Flame of African Literature

A Manifesto-Style Reflection Anchored in Authentic History

There are moments in Africa’s story where movements are born not from governments or armies, but from the pen, the page, and the collective voice of a people refusing to be erased from global history. The Pan African Writers’ Association (PAWA) is one of those moments.

Founded in 1989 in Accra, Ghana, with the backing of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the support of UNESCO, PAWA emerged after decades of demands by African writers for a continental platform to protect and promote their creative and cultural sovereignty (UNESCO, 1989). It has hosted conferences, readings, lectures, performances, writing competitions, and training programs, while honoring iconic African literary voices.

Among its founding visionaries were some of Africa’s most respected literary giants:

• Wole Soyinka (from Nigeria) – the first Black African Nobel Laureate in Literature (Nobel Prize, 1986)

• Nadine Gordimer (from South Africa) – anti-apartheid novelist and 1991 Nobel Laureate

• Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o (from Kenya) – theorist of decolonization and language revolution (Ngũgĩ, 1986)

• Chinua Achebe (from Nigeria) – father of modern African fiction

• Ama Ata Aidoo (from Ghana) – trailblazer for African women’s literature and feminist pioneer

• Atukwei Okai (from Ghana) – first and longest-serving Secretary-General of PAWA, pioneer of African performance poetry (GhanaWeb, 2018)

Together, they envisioned PAWA not as a symbolic union but as the literary nervous system of African unity and resistance.

Why PAWA Was Founded

From its inception, PAWA has committed to:

• Promoting African literature in all its forms and languages—indigenous and colonial

• Defending freedom of expression and supporting threatened writers across the continent

• Preserving oral traditions, proverbs, performance poetry, and communal storytelling

• Uniting national writers’ associations under one continental umbrella

Literary Exposure Through Library Affiliations

One of PAWA’s most strategic contributions is its institutional library affiliations, which offer members unprecedented visibility, legitimacy, and legacy:

• Through ties to UNESCO, PAWA works to catalogue and archive member works across African university libraries and cultural institutions(PAWA 2020).

• Institutions such as the KNUST Library and the Ghana National Library maintain archives of PAWA publications and events.

• International partners include the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York, along with other global academic repositories.

For writers, this means their work becomes part of scholarly and public memory:

• Searchable in academic databases

• Eligible for international reviews and festival inclusion

• Considered for curriculum adoption

• Preserved for future generations

PAWA and WAFORD thus offer not just publication—but cultural permanence.

The Five Regional Arms of PAWA

To ensure local coordination and cultural representation, PAWA relies on five regional wings(PAWA 2020):

1. West Africa – the birthplace of PAWA, home to Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, and literary elders like Achebe, Aidoo, and Okai.

   
   

   Coordinator: Prof. Femi Osofisan (Nigeria) – Vice President, PAWA West Africa

2. North Africa – rooted in Arabic-African literary history, this region amplifies resistance writing from Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.

   
   

   Coordinator: Managed through national writers' unions in the region.

3. Central Africa – shaped by post-independence struggle literature, including Congo, Cameroon, and Chad.

   
   

   Coordinator: Sylvie Ntsame (Gabon) – President of the Gabon Writers’ Association.

4. East Africa – from Swahili epics to postcolonial critique, East Africa is the home of literary lions like Ngũgĩ and emerging voices from Uganda and Tanzania.

   
   

   Coordinator: Guided through East African national writers' unions.

5. Southern Africa – forged in anti-apartheid fires, this region features luminaries such as Nadine Gordimer, Mongane Wally Serote, and Dennis Brutus.

   
   

   Coordinator: Structured via the South African writers’ guild and allied bodies.

These arms are not bureaucratic shells—they are living cultural centers that carry the African literary conscience across borders and tongues.

The Diaspora Arm – WAFORD: The Global Pulse of African Writing

No African literary movement is complete without its diaspora. To fulfill its mission, PAWA expanded to embrace African-descended writers abroad through WAFORD:WAFORD – Writers of African Origin in the Diaspora

WAFORD connects writers of African origin across the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, and every part of the world beyond the African continent. It is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Bill F. Ndi, a poet, scholar, and cultural philosopher known for his visionary leadership.

Under Dr. Ndi’s guidance, WAFORD has become:

• A bridge for scattered voices to reconnect with the continent

• A publishing hub for all African literary forms

• A mentorship and cultural exchange platform

WAFORD embraces all genres—including:

• Poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction

• Academic writing, drama, children’s literature

• Healthcare communication, technical writing, history, lifestyle, and more

No form is too small. No writer is left behind.WAFORD also publishes a quarterly magazine, launches traditional books across genres, and hosts virtual book launches to ensure that African writers are heard and celebrated globally.

Why PAWA & WAFORD Still Matter

African writers today still face:

• Censorship and repression

• Limited international publishing access

• Eurocentric literary gatekeeping

• Loss of heritage and linguistic identity

PAWA addresses this by:

• Celebrating African Writers’ Day every November 7

• Publishing continental anthologies and organizing literary festivals

• Running residencies, fellowships, and translation projects

• Advocating for language rights, copyright protections, and publishing equity

With PAWA, no African writer stands alone.With WAFORD, no diaspora voice is forgotten.

In a world where African literature is often filtered through external lenses, PAWA and WAFORD offer a literary homeland.

To Every African Writer—At Home or Abroad

Whether you’re a poet in Pretoria, a playwright in Paris, a novelist in Lagos, or a spoken word artist in Kingston—PAWA is your home.WAFORD is your bridge.

This is not just a network. It is a continent-wide convocation and a diasporic embrace.

"If you are silent about your pain, they will kill you and say you enjoyed it."– Zora Neale Hurston

Let this not be our fate.

Take Your Place

• Join your national writers’ association

• Connect with PAWA through your regional coordinator

• Reach out to WAFORD if you're in the diaspora

• Tell your story. Protect your language. Publish your truth.

• Read your literary ancestors

• Archive your works

• Write Africa into history—again

Because when African writers unite, we don’t just tell stories—we make history.

PAWA Leadership Structure

Arm / Role	Name & Title
West Africa	Prof. Femi Osofisan (Nigeria) – Vice President, PAWA West Africa
North Africa	Managed via national writers' unions (Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia)
Central Africa	Sylvie Ntsame (Gabon) – President, Gabon Writers’ Association
East Africa	Coordinated via East African national writers’ unions
Southern Africa	Structured via South African writers’ associations and literary bodies
Diaspora – WAFORD	Prof. Dr. Bill F. Ndi – Coordinator, WAFORD (since July 2024)
Secretary-General	Prof. Atukwei Okai (1989–2018); Dr. Wale Okediran (since Aug 2020, Accra)

Prof. Atukwei Okai served as Secretary-General from PAWA’s founding until his death on 13 July 2018.After a vacancy, Dr. Wale Okediran of Nigeria was appointed in August 2020, revitalizing PAWA’s mission.

These leaders embody the living solidarity of PAWA, representing every region and diaspora enclave—so the African literary voice never dims.

PAWA Today: A Cultural Reclamation Movement

PAWA has published and sponsored dozens of anthologies, poetry festivals, writing workshops, translation projects, and policy engagements. It continues to challenge the monopoly of colonial languages by championing indigenous African tongues, while also encouraging excellence in international literary standards.

With digital platforms like WAFORD Press, PAWA Radio, and PAWA-Lit Conferences, the organization has become a beacon for writers disillusioned by gatekeeping, censorship, and literary elitism.

Why This Shakes the Core of Every African Writer

PAWA is not merely an association—it is your birthright.WAFORD is not a substitute—it is your extension.Register today and become part of Africa’s golden literary renaissance. To write as an African today is to walk in the footsteps of those who wrote through war, exile, and betrayal—but never stopped believing in the healing power of the word.

You are not alone. You are part of a 60+ country network of writers saying:

We will not be silenced.We will not be misrepresented.We are not emerging—we have always been here.

So if your pen burns with vision, your poems echo with protest, or your stories carry your grandmother’s breath—PAWA is your literary home.

A Final Charge

Let every African writer remember:

• We are the griots of this generation.

• We are the historians of our people’s souls.

• We are the front-liners of Africa’s intellectual sovereignty.

“The African Renaissance will not be televised. It will be written, spoken, recited, archived, and inherited.”— WAFORD Editorial, 2025

References

• GhanaWeb. (2018, July 13). Profile of the late Prof. Atukwei Okai. Retrieved from https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Profile-of-the-late-Prof-Atukwei-Okai-668610

• Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o. (1986). Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language in African Literature. London: James Currey.

• Nobel Prize. (1986). The Nobel Prize in Literature 1986 – Wole Soyinka. Retrieved from https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1986/soyinka/facts/

• PAWA. (2020). PAWA Quarterly Newsletter: August–December 2020. Pan African Writers' Association.

• UNESCO. (1989). UNESCO’s role in the creation of the Pan African Writers’ Association. Paris: UNESCO Archives.