The God Child

Nana Oforiatta Ayim is a writer, art historian and filmmaker, who founded ANO gallery in Osu and has just written her debut novel, The God Child. We spoke to the polymath about her projects

Nana Oforiatta Ayim author photo (c) Naafia Naah

You’ve worked in art, film, founded arts institutions with ANO, and worked on academic projects. Why was now the time to turn to fiction?

I’ve been working on The God Child alongside all these other projects for many years, but quietly, so it’s not that I’ve turned to fiction now, but that it’s emerging to the public at this time.

What can fiction offer as an insight into the life of the Ghanaian diaspora and identity that other mediums can’t?

The God Child is about more than the Ghanaian diaspora, it’s also about loss and reparation within Ghana. I think fiction offers another dimension that non-fiction, for example, cannot, it can get into some of the more subjective truths of existence.

The book is dedicated to art critic, painter, novelist and poet, John Berger. What is it about his work that made you dedicate it
to him?

The fact that he drew on so many different forms and that in each form he was utterly truthful, and that he was so supportive and encouraging of my work. In my mind, he was always going to be my first reader, but sadly he died before I finished the book.

How does the book fit in with your wider work with the ANO Institute and the Encyclopedia?

They are all different sides of the same coin in that they all look to the healing of our collective fragmentation, in different ways and through different means.