Lawrence Darmani, Ghana
Novelist and publisher Lawrence Darmani is host chair and project leader of MAI’s LittAfrica 2019 conference. One of MAI’s most gifted writer trainers, Lawrence is founding editor of Step magazine and CEO of Step Publishers in Accra, Ghana.
Lawrence launched Step magazine in Ghana in 1989. Later, Step Publishers expanded operations to cover the publishing of books. Today, in addition to publishing the magazine, books have become a key product of the company, supplying titles to the Ministry of Education, Senior High Schools, Non-Formal Education, Ghana Book Trust and other institutions.
Lawrence’s first novel, Grief Child, won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in 1992 as best first book from Africa. He also writes devotional articles for Our Daily Bread, which touches the lives of many Christians around the world. He holds a B.A. in Communications from Daystar University in Kenya and lives in the capital city of Accra with his wife, Comfort.
For many years Lawrence has served as a writer trainer in MAI workshops in Africa and beyond. He serves on the MAI-Africa Board of Trustees.