Sylvia Arthur

Blog

  • New Event: To Improvise An Archive

    New Event: To Improvise An Archive

    Last weekend, I gave a talk at MK Gallery titled “To Improvise An Archive”, inspired by and in response to their current exhibition, “To Improvise A Mountain”, curated by the acclaimed British-Ghanaian figurative painter Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. It brought the women from the “A Women’s Oral History Of West Africa” archive into conversation with artists and… Read more

  • New interview on TWB Book Show

    New interview on TWB Book Show

    TWB Book Show returns with a compelling conversation featuring Sylvia Arthur, Founder of the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora (LOATAD), as we explore the theme: “Preserving African Stories, Shaping Global Narratives.” This episode is a rich reflection on books, culture, storytelling, and the responsibility of Africans to own and preserve their narratives. As… Read more

  • “It’s a timebomb”: Ghana’s healthcare crisis

    “It’s a timebomb”: Ghana’s healthcare crisis

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  • LOATAD is 8!

    LOATAD is 8!

    The Library Of Africa and The African Diaspora (LOATAD) is eight years old today! During that time, we’ve hosted over 100 writers-in-residence, run hundreds of events, created or co-created three school and community libraries, delivered hundreds of lessons to thousands of schoolchildren, and donated thousands of culturally relevant books to individuals and communities. And that’s… Read more

  • New event: Legacy Talk at Young Africa Centre (YAC)

    New event: Legacy Talk at Young Africa Centre (YAC)

    Telling Our Stories: Memory, Archives and Legacy from ‘A Women’s Oral History of West Africa‘ by Sylvia Arthur. Friday, 21 November 2025 at 6.30 pm. Online. About November’s Legacy TalkIn this Legacy Talk, we sit down with Sylvia Arthur to explore the methodology behind A Women’s Oral History of West Africa, uncover the transformative power of archiving, and… Read more

  • Now is the time to build African institutions

    Now is the time to build African institutions

    I wrote an op-ed for Ghanaian media to mark the 65th anniversary of the Ford Foundation’s West Africa Office, emphasising the importance of philanthropic support in building and sustaining Africa-based, Africa-centred institutions: “In 1960, the landmark year in which 17 African nations achieved their independence, the Ford Foundation announced its presence in West Africa with… Read more