"The Year of Return": Literary Bridges between Ghana and the Diaspora
Ivana Akotowaa Ofori brings history and memory to life in Münster
July 14th, 2025
On July 21, the Ghanaian writer Ivana Akotowaa Ofori will present her acclaimed novella The Year of Return at the Forum of the Volkshochschule Münster. The reading, organized by the Association of African Perspectives in cooperation with local institutions, brings together literature, history, and contemporary diaspora experiences. The event features German translations by journalist Tina Adomako and live reading by actress Barbara Kemmler from Cactus Junges Theater.
Published to critical acclaim, Ofori’s novella revisits Ghana’s 2019 “Year of Return,” a campaign that invited the African diaspora to reconnect with their ancestral homeland, 400 years after the beginning of the transatlantic slave trade. In the story, a young woman from the U.S. returns to Ghana, only to encounter ghosts rising from the Atlantic—spirits of ancestors who never came back. The narrative blends historical memory with elements of speculative fiction, inviting readers to reflect on the legacy of displacement and the ongoing process of healing.
Ofori, also known as “The Spider Kid,” is part of a new generation of pan-African writers using language as a tool for transformation. Her work moves between poetry, prose, and spoken word, and she is known for addressing migration, postcolonial identity, and cultural resistance. In 2025, she also serves as curator of the Africa Book Festival in Berlin (from 18th to 20th July), further cementing her role in shaping African literary conversations across borders.
Ghana’s “Year of Return” sparked both enthusiasm and criticism. While tourism and international engagement surged, many locals voiced concern over rising prices and cultural commercialization. Ofori’s story addresses these tensions with nuance, using metaphor to highlight both the symbolic power and the complexities of return.
More than just a reading, the event in Münster is a cultural dialogue—one that connects Münster to Accra, memory to narrative, and the diaspora to its roots. Through literature, Ofori opens a space where past and present meet, allowing stories once silenced to be heard again.
