Kofi Awoonor was a renowned poet, novelist, professor, and diplomat born in the Volta Region of Ghana in 1935.

Awoonor was one of the first writers to gain global recognition after Ghana's independence. His poems such as 'Songs of Sorrow' have been required reading for several generations of Ghanaian students.

In 1989, he won the Commonwealth poetry award and, in 1991, he received the Ghana Association of Writers distinguished authors award.

Awoonor was Ghana's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1990 to 1994, where he headed the committee against apartheid. He also served as Chairman of the Council of State until 2013 and taught as a professor of African literature at the University of Ghana.

Kofi Awoonor was among those tragically killed in a terrorist attack by Somali militants while on his way to speak at the 2013 Storymoja Hay Festival. Awoonor's death sparked an international outpouring of tributes from authors and poets celebrating the significance of his work.