Who we are

To bring together all writers, including persons interested in writing, creators of literary content in Ghana, creating a forum for the study of our literary heritage and exchange of ideas.
To protect and advance the interests of Ghanaian writers.
To foster the development of good literature in Ghanaian and foreign languages.
To encourage the study, documentation and preservation of our oral traditions and cultural elements.
To awaken, cultivate and educate the literary consciousness of the Ghanaian public.
To establish and maintain suitable relationships with other writers and writers’ organizations and allied institutions, or groups, as well as local and foreign publishers and the book world generally.

Who we are

To bring together all writers, including persons interested in writing, creators of literary content in Ghana, creating a forum for the study of our literary heritage and exchange of ideas.
To protect and advance the interests of Ghanaian writers.
To foster the development of good literature in Ghanaian and foreign languages.
To encourage the study, documentation and preservation of our oral traditions and cultural elements.
To awaken, cultivate and educate the literary consciousness of the Ghanaian public.
To establish and maintain suitable relationships with other writers and writers’ organizations and allied institutions, or groups, as well as local and foreign publishers and the book world generally.

Our Story

Efforts to organise the writers front started in the Gold Coast in the 1920s with the formation of the Young Men’s Literary Club on March, 29, 1920. The name of the Club was changed to Young People’s Literary Club to reflect its composition, which comprised members of both sexes. During the celebration of the Club’s 17th anniversary on May 29, 1937, Miss Comfort Aryee was elected as the first woman President of the Club. The Young People’s Literary Club was succeeded by the Society of Writers in 1957.

Please use the link below to download the pfd of the full history about Ghana Association of Writers. Download pdf

Programmes and Projects of GAW

Ghana Association of Writers (GAW) Book Festival (GAWBOFEST)

It is a festival that brings together various stakeholders in the book industry in September of every year since 2011. It has the theme “Empowering Ghana through Reading.” The current content/activities (book readings, poetry, story-telling, book signings, quizzes, brass band
music, face painting, instant portrait drawing & graphics design). Composition of participants (writers: GAW & non-GAW; schools & colleges, writers’ clubs, writers’ clubs, diplomatic missions, members of parliament, personalities in the arts & creative industry, “Country of Focus,” etc.).

Seek for financial support for the celebration of GAWBOFEST in the 16 regions to
herald the observance of the national GAWBOFEST.
Expand funding to include brand sponsorship or direct corporate sponsorship for a
specific period (5 years, for instance).

GAW Schools Outreach Porgramme (GAWSOP)

It was established in 2012 by GAW in
collaboration with GES as a schools’ outreach programme by setting up of literary clubs in
all public Senior High Schools to encourage students to take interest in reading and writing.

Revisit the MOU between GAW & GES to urge stakeholders to abide by its tenets.
Form literary clubs in public SHSs.
Form literary clubs in private SHSs.
Look for corporate sponsorship for GAWSOP Filla Magazine (literary magazine) to
ensure its free distribution to students.

GAW Sunday

It is a monthly variety literary event. It was created to bring members and their friends together in a literary celebration.

GAW Annual Literary Awards

This award was instituted to promote adherence to
standards and literary excellence among GAW members. It is held in November of each year.

Expand funding to include brand sponsorship or direct corporate sponsorship for a
specific period (5 years, for instance).
Mini awards to be held in the regions. The possibility of 1st and 2nd positions of each category from the regions to be submitted to the national awards will be discussed.

Strengthening regional, tertiary & local branches

Provide human & financial resource to the branches such allocate seed money for office accommodation, basic furniture, etc.

Two writers’ retreat residences

Akrofo Residency – The Akrofo Human and Environmental Resource Development project site is located at Akrofo, Jasikan-Buem, in the Oti Region of Ghana. It
occupies a 10-hectare piece of land. It is a 4-bedroom, 3-round-hut facility.
Ajumako-Kromaim Residency Project – This is located close to the University of
Education campus at Ajumako, the district capital of Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District
of the Central Region of Ghana. It is a 4-bedroom, 70% complete facility offered by
Mr. John Wilberforce Essiah, a member of GAW.

GAW Young Writers’ Forum

The youth constitute the membership base of the Ghana Association of Writers (GAW), because we do not only believe in their writing skills but also seek to nurture them towards literary excellence. The GAW Young Writers Forum is therefore a project by the Association, aimed at bridging the gap between the old and young writers in Africa, starting with Ghana. This project was birthed out of the realisation that a huge gap exists between the old and new generation of writers. This gap exists in the areas of the linguistic world view or language, cultural memory and identity: aspects of folklore, religion, among others. The GAW Young Writers Forum has been instituted to create a platform for renowned African writers to pass on their intellect, share their experiences and mentor/train young and upcoming writers to excel both locally and internationally.

GAW Festival of Plays

The aim of the Festival is to create avenue for discussing playwriting, the playwrights, rather than performance of plays. GAW intends to organise this event with other stakeholders such as the National Theatre of Ghana. The Festival would span over three days to involve screening of old plays/drama performances like the Osofu Dadzie drama series and concert party, theatre productions, workshops facilitated by known playwrights, exhibition of books/play dramatic works, etc. It is also a forum to celebrate people who contributed to playwriting such as Efua Sutherland, Kobina Sakyi, Kobina Eyi Acquah, Joe DeGraft, Ama Ata Aidoo, Prof. Martin Owusu, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Abdallah, Bill Marshall, Dr. Daniel Appiah-Agyei, etc., and for up-and-coming playwrights to determine their location in the field.

Writers Enterprise Fund (WEF)

The purpose of the Fund is to provide grants to GAW members (individuals & teams) to further their desires and abilities to write, perform, or publish.

Sources of funding: Corporate Membership dues; Foundations, etc.

GAW Annual Schools Short Stories Competition

It is an opportunity for up-and-coming young writers in senior high schools and universities to bring their stories to the attention of society. These stories have the first choice of being published in the GAW Fila Magazine. GAW will be, indeed, pleased to be the first to publish these young talents. It is with the slogan, “Unearthing Future Writers.” Participants are encouraged to tell stories that need to be told, using the short story form. GAW considers that participating and winning its short story prize will certainly be a defining moment in the life of emerging young writers; it will spur them on to take writing and reading seriously. The competition will start at the regional level and be climaxed at the national level. Cash, laptops, books, etc. awards and scholarships will be given to winning schools and students.

Frequent writers’ workshops, seminars, clinics & mentorship/consultancies

These are means of building capacity of members.

International exchange programmes

These programmes are to stimulate cooperation between GAW and writers’ associations, groups & projects elsewhere. Promote GAW to the larger community as writers’ association of distinction.

GAW Distinguished Authors and Personalities Series

The GAW Distinguished Authors and Personalities Series is a quarterly gathering of members and the general public to hear at firsthand from acclaimed authors and personalities in the literary world who have fascinated us, challenged us and raised our curiosity. This is to enable members and the public to gain deeper insight into their stories, and how they created their works through painstaking and detailed research and writing. It is also a forum to exchange ideas, findings and challenges within the literary community. A typical gathering would be in the form of a public reading and discussion of a book, a lecture, a roundtable or a workshop.

Policy & Advocacy

GAW is to be positioned to play major roles in national issues and advocacy.

Read-A-Ghana-Book Month

This is one of the many projects GAW continues to pursue to promote reading among Ghanaians, especially children. The Month of March, every year, is dedicated to reading books by Ghanaian authors. The month of March is significant because it is Ghana’s Independence month, therefore Ghana National Month.

GAW Membership

Firstly, you must be a writer/author or have interest to write to qualify to apply for membership.

The Association welcomes publishers, bloggers, editors, proof-readers, illustrators, designers, librarians, and all creators of literary content.

The benefits for being a member of GAW include:

Participation in workshops, seminars, clinics, etc. organised by GAW.
GAW recommends members’ books to NGOs and literary organisations that purchase books from the GAW Secretariat from time to time.
GAW’s premises is available for paid up members to launch their books.
At GAW events and meetings, depending on your literacy needs, there is always an opportunity to network and consult with accomplished writers for guidance and mentorship.
Through GAW, CopyGhana, the Reprographic Rights Organisation (RRO) of Ghana, compensates authors whose works are photocopied or digitally copied for commercial gains.

Please click on the button below to access your respective GAW membership application forms.

GAW LITERARY AWARDS

About the Award

The Ghana Association of Writers (GAW) Literary Awards was instituted in the 1980s and was first held in 1987. It was conceived to be organised annually to honour outstanding literary achievements by Ghanaian writers, especially members of the Association. However, the awards had been dormant since its last organisation due to political, social and financial circumstances. It was revived by GAW in 2017 to commemorate GAW’s and Ghana’s sixty years of formation and statehood, respectively. The 2019 event marks the third year, following the revival of the awards. The purpose envisioned by the originators of the awards remains largely unchanged.