Ekow Agyine-Dadzie

What was your favorite book as a child?

My childhood favourite book was Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. I discovered it at school, and as much as I didn't understand it all at the time, the book made a lasting impression on me. It was the first book that ever made me appreciate that African life, culture, and conflict were shown with pride and integrity. The characters felt familiar, almost like people that I knew back home in the village. I appreciated that Achebe could write an incredible story with just simple language. It taught me that incredible stories do not have to be long and confusing; they just have to be true.

What was the original reason or motivation why you started writing creatively?

I started writing as a means to make sense of my own life. Growing up, I felt between two worlds: village life and the city, local tradition and global influences, personal issues and newfound opportunities. Writing enabled me to link those fragments together. It helped me recall what my grandparents taught me, the advice of my parents, and my own questions of where I belong and who I am. I wrote just for myself at the beginning, on papers and scraps of paper. Then, I noticed that publishing my writing could also be of help to those who felt the same and didn’t know where to start expressing the way they felt.

What was the most adventurous or thrilling thing you ever did/experienced?

One of the most exciting times in my life was standing in front of a classroom as a teacher for the first time. It may not seem like an adventure in the usual way, but to me, it was both thrilling and scary. I was not just teaching computing skills; I was also helping young students see themselves and their future. At that moment, I felt both the weight of responsibility and the excitement of new possibilities. Each lesson became a small adventure, where I had to be creative, clever, and open-minded.

Do you listen to music while reading or writing?

I also listen to music when writing, but it depends on the task that I have at hand. If it is something that calls for deeper thought or telling a personal story, then I prefer silence. It makes me hear myself more clearly. But if it is something that calls for energy or inspiration, then often instrumental pieces or soft jazz play softly in the background. It gives me the rhythm that makes me get into the zone more easily. I do not often listen to music with words because the words get the way of my own thoughts.