Mbizo Chirasha is the founder of the Writing Ukraine Prize and a UNESCO-RILA affiliate Artist. He has held fellowships and residencies in Germany, USA, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, and Sweden. He edits and curates several literary platforms, including Time of the Poet Republic and Brave Voices. Author of A Letter to the President, his works appear in over 200 journals worldwide, including The Evergreen Review, Poetry London, and FemAsia Magazine.

Mbizo Chirasha: Who is Daniel Naawenkangua Abukuri, and how long have you been writing?

Daniel Naawenkangua Abukuri: I am a Ghanaian poet and prose writer whose work explores grief, resilience, memory, and the search for belonging, often centering Black lives and identities.
I started writing when I was seven. Back then, drawing and storytelling were inseparable for me. Every picture I made felt unfinished without words, so I began adding labels, inventing stories, and building little worlds around my drawings. As a first-generation student, writing also became a way of understanding life. I learned from whatever I could find—flash-fiction booklets, anime, short stories, conversations.
Looking back, those early acts of creation taught me something that still guides my work today: that language can hold both imagination and lived experience, and that even ordinary life can become poetry.

How many books or stories have you published so far and how are they received in your country?

My poems and stories have appeared, or are forthcoming, in numerous international and regional literary journals, including Transition Magazine, The Malahat Review, Colorado Review, Orion Magazine, Protean Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, and many others.
The work has been recognized through nominations for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Microfiction, as well as awards such as the African Writers Award and Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2025.
In Ghana, the reception has been deeply humbling, particularly among younger readers who tell me that my work gives voice to emotions and experiences they have long carried but struggled to express. My literary journey began with the support of fellow students at the University of Ghana, and today, as an Obsidian Foundation Fellow, I hope my work helps connect literary tradition with contemporary conversations.

What are your literary thematic areas?

My work focuses on the lived experiences of Black people and other marginalized communities. I am interested in resilience, identity, belonging, grief, displacement, and survival, but also in the small joys, humor, and creativity that sustain everyday life.
Across poetry and fiction, I return to questions of memory, inheritance, and the legacies of colonialism and inequality. At the same time, I want to celebrate Black imagination, culture, and voices that resist erasure. Much of my writing begins with ordinary moments and asks what larger truths they might contain.

Are you a multi-genre writer or do you only write short stories?

I like to think every writer is, deep down, a multi-genre writer. Most of us simply focus on one area to preserve our sanity.
I work in both poetry and fiction. Poetry allows me to distill emotion, rhythm, and memory into concentrated moments, while fiction gives me space to build worlds and spend time with characters. Together, they allow me to approach recurring themes such as identity, resilience, and belonging from different angles.

How is the book industry in your country?

The book industry in Ghana is growing, though it still faces significant challenges. Publishing opportunities remain limited, distribution can be difficult, and reading culture is still developing in some areas.
At times, being a writer here can feel a little like planting seeds in rocky soil. Yet there is also something exciting about the literary scene. The writing community is vibrant, energetic, and constantly searching for new voices. There is a great deal of hope, a little chaos, and a strong sense that important things are beginning to happen.

You’ve already hinted that you’re interested in issues such as racism, social justice, gender equality and human rights – could you tell us a bit more about that?

My work is rarely political in an overt sense, but it is deeply concerned with questions of dignity, identity, and the human condition.
I approach issues such as racial equity and social justice by centering lives that are often overlooked. Through poetry and prose, I try to capture experiences that are frequently silenced, simplified, or pushed to the margins.
As an Obsidian Foundation Fellow, I see writing as a form of quiet activism—one that affirms the value of Black histories, Black imagination, and the legitimacy of our emotional lives.

How are writers and artists appreciated or treated in your country?

Writers and artists in Ghana are respected, though often more quietly than publicly celebrated. Recognition and support can sometimes feel elusive, especially outside literary circles.
Still, appreciation for literature and the arts is growing. More people are beginning to recognize that writers do more than produce books. They help shape culture, preserve memory, and occasionally create a little tea-fueled chaos along the way.

Do you have spaces that promote creativity, literary arts, books, and writing in your country?

Yes. Ghana has a number of organizations that actively support writers and literary culture, including the Writers Project of Ghana, the Ghana Association of Writers, the Ama Ata Aidoo Centre for Creative Writing, and Creatives GH.
These spaces provide opportunities for mentorship, collaboration, and creative development. I also hope to contribute to this ecosystem in the future by creating workshops, mentorship programs, and networks for emerging writers.

Have you ever attended literature festivals, fellowship programmes, and book fairs? How has been your experience?

Yes, and those experiences have been invaluable. Literary festivals, workshops, and fellowship programs have connected me with mentors, fellow writers, and readers from different parts of the world.
They have also helped me see my work as part of a much larger conversation. Beyond the professional benefits, there is something special about being in a room full of people who all speak the same strange and wonderful language of stories and poems.

How many awards/accolades have you received since you began literary arts activism and writing?

I have been fortunate to receive several honors over the years. Most recently, I won Poetry Archive Now Wordview 2025 and the 8th African Writers Award for Poetry. I was also a finalist for the 2025 Adinkra Poetry Prize and longlisted for the Renard Press Poetry Prize.
My work has additionally been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, Best Microfiction, and the BREW Poetry Award. Another important milestone was my selection as an Obsidian Foundation Fellow, which has provided valuable opportunities for growth and community.

What is your favorite dish or meal, food-wise?

My absolute favorite meal is Tuo Zaafi (TZ). There is something incredibly comforting about the soft, dough-like consistency of the corn or millet flour staple, especially when it is served traditional style. I enjoy it most when it is accompanied by a vibrant Ayoyo (jute leaf) soup and a rich, spicy tomato stew. For me, it isn’t just about the delicious combination of textures and flavors; it is a dish that represents the culinary heart of Northern Ghana and always feels like a taste of home. I also enjoy waakye and sobolo, a refreshing drink made from hibiscus leaves. Food culture in Ghana is centered on family and community. Sharing meals with relatives, friends, and guests is an important part of everyday life and special occasions. Across Africa, food varies from region to region, reflecting different cultures, histories, and local ingredients. More than just nourishment, food brings people together and expresses care and belonging.

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