Frank Osei Nyame: “I love poetry because I realized it was a good way of channeling bottled up emotions”

Frank Osei Nyame is an avid reader from Ghana

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By: Alberto Berenguer     Twitter: @tukoberenguer

Frank Osei Nyame

Do you remember when you began reading your first book? And the latest?
Umm yes, I remember reading Rapunzel at around 11 years, then I also read a lot of short stories in junior high but it wasn’t till first year in senior high that I read my first “big” book: The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes. After that I fell in love with science fiction. My latest was Foundation by Mercedes Lackey.

We continue talking about your favourite literature now. If you had to choose some literary genre, what would it be?
I enjoy different literary genres (love it when they are mixed) but if I am to choose just one it’d be fiction. Yes, fiction with good touches of romance and fantasy.

In your country, Ghana, the poetry is in demand. However, it isn’t a frequent reading in Spain or Europe. Do you like the poetry? Why?
Yes, I love poetry. I used to read poetry only for academic purposes. I think at that time I liked poetry just because it was literature (I had always liked literature) and also I was sort of good at answering questions on it. I was reading a lot of poems from a poet friend of mine back in high school, one morning I decided to try writing one and I did! I liked the feeling it gave me so I was writing it often. Then I started doing recitals for inter-schools’ literary competitions.  I came to love poetry more because I realized it was a good way of channeling bottled up emotions. I was going through a lot of changes and poetry helped me through.

Do you usually read Ghanaian national literature or Anglo-Saxon?
Mostly I read Anglo-Saxon but I do read Ghanaian literature too.

Ama Ata Aidoo, a Ghanaian playwright and former Education Minister of Ghana

We know some books of Ghanaian novelists and poets as Roberto Gaddiel Acquaah, Ayi Kwei Armah, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Efua Sutherland, Atukwei Okai, Amma Darko or Ama Ata Aidoo, among others authors. Do you have any Ghanaian favorite author?
Yes. I would say Ama Ata Aidoo. I really enjoyed reading her book Changes.

When you choose a book, do you always buy it in a bookstore or you take it borrow of a library?
I buy them. I’ve borrowed only two books from the library since I started reading. I love owning books.

What must you have a book to get hooked?
First it must have brown pages, hahahaha (I don’t like white pages). But more seriously, I like a book with a little bit of mystery, adventure, romance and humor (humor is must). If it has these four things, am hooked!

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Worldreader has distributed nearly 200.000 e-books to more than 1.200 children in sub-Saharan Africa. Do you read digitally from time to time or you prefer in paper?
I do read digitally from time to time. When am looking for a book and I don’t get it, I download and read it on my phone. I am currently reading Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien on my phone.

What do you think about Spanish literature? Have you read some Spanish writer?
Mmm not really. No, I don’t think I’ve had the privilege of reading from a Spanish writer yet but I would be glad if you could suggest one for me.

Finally, what book would you recommend to followers of this site?
Umm I recently read Suzanne Brockmann’s Forces of nature. I think it’s a good book to read. She has humor and she writes romance well.