Kumi William DuBois: “This book called ‘Beautiful Africa’ is the beauty of Africa painted in words”

A young and rising Ghanian poet

• The people, the natural resources and the culture is enough to say Africa is beautiful.
• Readers who visit his blog always find good poems on daily basis.

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By: Alberto Berenguer and Frank Osei Nyame

Kumi William DuBois, Ghanian poet

First, briefly who is Kumi William Du Bois? What are you about?
I am a young man in my 20’s who loves words and art in a bigger perspective. From Kindergarten, I have been known as a poetry lover. I decided to start writing in my Junior High school days due to a poem I read; the poem was that of David Diop “The Vultures”. The poem really fought its way into my heart and made me start writing. I am now pursuing a Degree in communication at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. Day dreaming is one thing I cannot live without for a moment. It keeps me going and writing.

Tell us about your book and your literary style of writing. How effective do you think infusing the local language, TWI, into your poem will be to a foreigner who does not know the language?
Beautiful Africa is an anthology I published at the age of 19 with other featured poets from Ghana and the United States of America. The book is not just an anthology but an anthology with 100 literary devices. There are 20 poems in the book which 12 of those poems are mine and the remaining 8 poems are those of the featured poets. The book is available online only.
My writing style is very unique due to the way and topics I usually write about.
Poetry is the native language of the heart you don’t need an interpreter for your heart to understand the poem. Twi in Ghana is one of the most used local languages even when foreigners come to explore Ghana, they fall for the language and since I was born in this language I am very fluent in it. Infusing twi in my writing helps me to create a connection between my reader who less understand English I always have a glossary column where I explain all the local dialect  I used in the poem so this serves as a guide to the foreigner who does not understand the langue. Also doing this makes the poem more indigenous.

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.