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Boakye D. Alpha is a young Ghanaian creative writer who found his love for literature at a very young age. Falling in love with reading, he began writing alternative stories, rewriting plots, and imagining new possibilities for the characters in the books he read. Before Boakye discovered African writing and storytelling, he had long leaned heavily on Western literature through constant reading. His love for Literature fueled his desire to improve his command of the English language, which made him study his dictionary as one reads a novel, alongside reading recommended books in literature classes more than once.

‘How time flies!’ Boakye would laugh when he flipped through an exercise book he bought in primary school, on the back of which he wrote the words: My story book. A book where he started penning his ideas down. Today, the book, which still gracefully sits on his shelf, reminds him of how far he has come, through dedication and discipline, to having the writing career he has today.

His earliest memories of storytelling was his primary school days, when he played a game with his friends. Then, they would divide sheets of paper into boxes and draw stick figures—tiny characters living full lives. Later, he realized that through these characters, who had families, conversations, and friendships, he was telling stories, just without realizing it.

Boakye grew up spending lots of time in his head—imagination, a place of refuge. At an early age, he was exposed to a wide range of realities which deeply influenced his worldview and shaped the kind of storyteller he is—one who is committed to using writing to ask difficult questions, spark meaningful conversations, and engage with issues of social change and advocacy. 

In Boakye’s formative years, he wrote without knowing craft rules existed. He wrote his first full story in junior secondary school. Even though the plot has passed away with time, he remembered typing it out on Microsoft Word on a desktop computer, printing it, and taking it to school to show his friends. His friend’s excitement made him proud and fuelled his passion for writing. One of his teachers, having seen his ‘masterpiece’, said, “I saw that you wrote a book. It is really good. Such a nice story!” 

That was water to an infant plant. To further nurture this talent, in his senior secondary school days, Boakye joined writing clubs, participated in essay competitions, and took a serious interest in literature classes.

Inspired by reading news, observing his immediate environment, or witnessing injustice meted out to people, he feels a deep sadness followed by a strong urge to respond, which he does through writing. This allows him to interrogate what he sees, sit with discomfort, and ask questions that don’t always have easy answers. Also inspired by history, both written and oral, an act of returning to the past, inhabiting it, and playing around with it. 

His major influences have been James Baldwin, Yaa Gyasi, Eloghosa Osunde, Ama Asantewaa Diaka, Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie, Ben Okri, Chigozie Obioma, Tsitsi Dangarembga, NoViolet Bulawayo, Tash Aw, and Bernardine Evaristo. Their works remind him that literature can be intimate and political at once, experimental yet grounded, and unafraid to sit with complexity. In different ways, they continue to shape how he thinks about voice, form, and what it means to write with intention.

Surprisingly, according to Boakye, his breakthrough as a writer hasn’t happened yet. Maybe he is still humble in his own for his own good. He believes he is still young in his career, and there are still stages to attain, injustices to speak up for, among others. Regardless, he acknowledges his wins, recognitions, and opportunities that have contributed to his growth as a writer, which are also a testament that he is on the right path.

One of his earliest affirmations was in senior high school, Osei Tutu, when one of his essays was published and supported by the Writers, Debaters, and Drama Club; one of the heads of the club, Stanley; and the Patron, Mr Samuel Abosi. That moment mattered deeply to him, as it was one of the first times his writing was publicly acknowledged. It gave him permission to take himself seriously as a writer. 

In April 2023, he was named one of the winners of the Tony Elumelu Storytellers Fund. It was his first major grant win, and being trusted with that level of support (and money) to work on a project —the creative economy in Ghana. That project has since grown into a community and a journal, providing a platform where young creatives can access resources and opportunities to develop their crafts and build sustainable careers. Also, being longlisted for the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize was another important moment, after he had spent years submitting with no better result. Recently, Boakye was selected for the Global Voices Scholarship to study in his dream Creative Writing MA program at the University of East Anglia.

With a work he nearly gave up on, he was selected as one of ten fellows for the 2025–2026 Escalator New Writing Fellowship, an eight-month creative development programme for emerging writers in the United Kingdom. This indeed is a milestone!

As Boakye continues to explore with his writing, he is currently working on a literary, historical fiction novel, which he hopes will hit the shelves soon. On January 5th, 2026, his short story “Ghana Must Go” will be published by Lọ́unlọ́un, which he earnestly looks forward to.

Alpha’s vision for his writing career is simple: writing to experience its full life cycle. From being an egg, to larva, to pupa, and finally to a beautifully winged butterfly. At the same time, he wants to give himself permission to evolve, to experiment, and to grow through each stage of that life cycle.

We are very proud of Boakye, and we look forward to celebrating his wins with him!

Connect with him on X and Instagram.