drama· Ghana
The Marriage of Anansewa: A Storytelling Drama
by Efua SutherlandAggregate Editorial Score30/100
Published 1975English
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Published in 1975, The Marriage of Anansewa: A Storytelling Drama established Efua Sutherland as one of the defining voices in drama. Efua Sutherland's play is a humorous and satirical take on traditional Ghanaian customs and modern influences. It tells the story of Ananse, a cunning character, who tries to arrange a profitable marriage for his daughter Anansewa. The play is celebrated for its vibrant use of language and its insightful commentary on societal norms and family dynamics. Themes of tradition, family, marriage run through the work.
Book Details
Country of Origin
🇬🇭 Ghana
This book is part of Ghana's rich literary tradition.
Explore books from Ghana →Editorial Assessment
The Marriage of Anansewa: A Storytelling Drama by Efua Sutherland sits within the tradition of drama that treats language as seriously as plot. Published in 1975 in Ghana, it engages with tradition, family, marriage, cunning in ways that have earned it lasting critical attention.
Critics and institutions have consistently placed The Marriage of Anansewa: A Storytelling Drama among the notable works of its period. Our aggregate score of 30/100 is compiled from 0 editorial sources that range from Nobel and Booker committees to leading literary journals.
What distinguishes The Marriage of Anansewa: A Storytelling Drama is how it handles its central concerns — tradition, family, marriage, cunning — without reducing them to neat conclusions. The book invites close reading and holds up well to it.
Efua Sutherland's role in the literature of Ghana is well established. The Marriage of Anansewa: A Storytelling Drama can be read as both a standalone achievement and as part of a broader national literary conversation about identity, history, and the possibilities of narrative form.
About this assessment: Editorial scores are aggregated from multiple independent sources including major literary prizes, critical surveys, and leading publications. Our editorial team reviews and contextualises this data. Rankings reflect critical consensus, not personal opinion or popularity metrics. Learn about our methodology.
Efua Sutherland is a Ghana author whose work in drama has earned recognition from readers and critics alike.
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