Lawyer and entrepreneur becomes first Ghana-based author to self-publish a mystery thriller fiction

There are many people who are scared to pursue their dreams largely because they do not think they can achieve them. Well, Adwoa A. Amoako Adjei, a young lawyer with writing aspirations, pursued hers and now she is a self-published author in a genre that has not been explored much in the Ghanaian literary world.

Adjei is the first Ghana-based author to self-publish a mystery thriller fiction and the first Ghanaian female to publish a mystery-thriller romance novel, Mixed Up, which was launched last month in Ghana’s capital, Accra. Within a week, the book was sold out.

Adjei wants to play an active role in presenting the modern Ghanaian story to the world with her book. It is her desire to arouse the interest of Ghanaians and beyond in reading.

Like Ghana was in the past, Adjei wants to make her home country a literature hub, and this book launch to her is certainly a dream come true.

“So often than I’ll like to admit, I have been in a position where people doubt my abilities and so often, I am proud to say, I have been in a position to prove them wrong. I believe that you can do anything once you challenge yourself. I dreamt, I wanted that dream and I worked towards it. And this is a dream come true,” she said.

“Mixed Up” is her first fictional novel and it immerses the reader in the life of a young woman whose love life is riddled with pain, horror, and battles. It gives an insight into her teenage years which has the emotive power to arouse empathy from the reader.

The 26-year-old made waves earlier this year for being one of the youngest female lawyers to be called to the bar in The Gambia and Ghana.

She attained her law degree at The Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) but did not make it into The Ghana School of Law. Following the advice of a close friend, she applied to the Gambia Law School successfully and got called to the bar upon graduation in the West African Nation.

Adjei returned to Ghana and tried the Ghana Law School entrance exam one more time and passed and in turn, was called to the bar upon completion.

The Koforidua native from a family of five is not the only lawyer in her family. Adjei is the first of three girls. Her father, Kwasi Amoako Adjei, runs his own law firm Amoako Adjei Law Consult where she now works as an attorney-at-law. One of her younger siblings is also a lawyer and the last one is pursuing a law degree.

Her family and many high-profile Ghanaians were there to support her during the launch which was chaired by Nana Kwasi Gyan-Appenteng, the current President of Ghana Association of Writers and the past chairman of the National Media Commission.

This young lawyer turned author is also an entrepreneur with a successful online shop on Instagram.

She has hinted that two other novels are in the pipeline and hopes to create a collection of her works soon. It is her aim to inspire and encourage young talented people to also venture into writing with her debut book, Mixed Up, which is selling in stores and on Amazon.