Behind the Book with Sylvia Arthur: Building Libraries in Ghana
The interior of the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora in Accra, Ghana. (courtesy of Sylvia Arthur.)
On episode 52 of the Reed, Write, & Create podcast, we’re going Behind the Book with Sylvia Arthur, founder of the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora in Accra, Ghana.
Remember, for Season Five of the podcast, we’re going behind the book to talk to people whose livelihood and careers depend on the free flowing circulation of books in society. On our last episode we spoke with bibliotherapist, Emely Rumble. So, now we’re going from bibliotherapy to library building.
Who is Sylvia Arthur?
Sylvia Arthur is the founder of the Library Of Africa and The African Diaspora (LOATAD), a library, archive, writing residency, and research institute in Accra, Ghana, dedicated to the work of African and Diaspora writers from the late 19th century to the present day.
Sylvia started LOATAD using 1,300 of her own books in 2017 and she has since curated six libraries in Ghana, including school, community, and corporate libraries. She is an advocate for the restitution of African literary archives to the continent and has delivered various talks and presentations on the subject. She is a 2024 Ford Global Fellow, 2023 Brittle Paper Literary Person of the Year, and a 2022 National Geographic Explorer, working to document the stories of West African women aged 60+ through the creation of an expansive oral archive. Sylvia is a two-time TEDx speaker, an Africa No Filter Narrative Champion, and a Creative Activism Award recipient.
I had the good fortune of meeting Sylvia Arthur during my time as a resident at the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora, and I knew I wanted to have her on the podcast to share her story. Once we decided to do this special Behind the Book season, I was even more convinced I wanted Sylvia on, so she could tell us what it was like launching a whole entire library in Ghana, when she herself had only recently moved to the country from England.
Building a Literary Shrine for the African Diaspora
On this episode of the podcast, Sylvia shares:
How and why she started the Library of Africa and the African Diaspora.
What are the unique challenges of running a library in Ghana.
Why she wanted to launch a residency for Diasporic writers.
Why she thinks books are transformational in the lives of marginalized people.
What keeps her motivated as a one-woman show to make sure LOATAD continues to thrive.
Besides reading, what kinds of activities happen in the library.
Links for More on LOATAD
I hope you enjoy this inspiring episode and you consider visiting or supporting The Library of Africa and the African Diaspora.
Follow LOATAD on Instagram to see what kind of events and offerings they have.
Sylvia’s last favorite read was The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Sylvia’s suggestion for a book by a Ghanaian author everyone should read, Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo, one of Ghana’s most famous female authors.
Check out Lori's video about her experience as a resident at LOATAD on her YouTube channel, Literary Lori.