The Bureau of Ghana Languages as part of its plans to celebrate Ghanaian literary legends has instituted the ‘Legends’ Works Translation Project’ meant to translate works of poems, prose and plays of Ghanaian literary legends into the eleven learnt Ghanaian languages and more for the purpose of academic works in Ghanaian schools and also offer broader readership opportunity beyond the boundaries of Ghana. First of the legends whose works have been selected for the project is the astute Ghanaian poet, essayist and retired surgeon, Prof. Lade Wosornu.
17 of his poems including the very popular ‘Master Brewer’, ‘Desert Rivers’, ‘A Re-discovery’ learnt in schools and the newly selected one, Raider of The Treasure Trove, meant to be studied for the next five years as part of the African Selected poems in the Senior High Schools will be translated into Ewe, Ga, Twi (Asante & Akuapem), Fante, Dagaare, Dagbani, Kasem, Gonja, Dangme,Nzema among others.
Prof. Lade Wosornu is one of the few Ghanaians who have broken the myth—that science and creative arts have no strong connection. He is a prominent figure in the Ghanaian literary & academic landscape, an essayist and columnist on a range of health issues in Ghanaian papers. He has three collections of poetry works—Ete’ & Other Poems, Celestial Bride & Other Poems and Journey Without Ends & Other Poems.
The ‘Legends’ Works Translation Project’, according to the Head of Accounts, Hajia Safiatu Musah, also targets works of literary legends as Prof. Atukwei Okai, Prof. Kofi Awoonor, Prof. Kofi Anyidoho, Dr. Gheysika Agambila, Dr. Mawuli Adjei, Theodora Afua Sutherland among others after Prof. Lade Wosornu’s works translation. The project as part of its other aims, seeks to also get quality literary works to help encourage the patronage of Ghanaian languages beyond the shores of Ghana and encourage writing and reading in the Ghanaian languages.
The Bureau of Ghana Languages is a government agency founded in 1951 and tasked to provide services in Ghanaian languages to individuals, organizations, institutions and the general research into Ghanaian languages, writing, translation of non-local language documents, assessment, editing and publication of documents in Ghanaian languages and to influence government policies on Ghanaian languages.
