Frank Kobina Parkes (8 March 1932 – 23 May 2004)[1] was a Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and poet. He was the author of one book, Songs from the Wilderness (University of London Press, 1965), but is widely anthologised and is perhaps best known for his poem "African Heaven", which echoes the title of Carl Van Vechten's controversial 1926 novel Nigger Heaven, and was selected by Langston Hughes for inclusion in the groundbreaking anthology of African writing An African Treasury (1960). Parkes' poetic style, an intelligent, rhythmic free verse brimming with confidence and undercut with humour, is believed to owe much to the Senegalese poet David Diop, one of the pioneers of the négritude movement. Reviewing Songs from the Wilderness, Mbella Sonne Dipoko said: "Mr Parkes is one of the fine poets writing today about Africa and the world."[2] The book was hailed as "...a landmark not only in Ghanaian poetry but in African poetry as a whole".[3]
Frank Kobina Parkes
Born
Francis Ernest Kobina Parkes (1932-03-08)8 March 1932 Korle Bu, Ghana
Died
23 May 2004(2004-05-23) (aged 72) Korle Bu, Accra, Ghana
Francis Ernest Kobina Parkes was born in 1932[1] at Korle-Bu, Gold Coast (now Ghana), to a wealthy pharmacist, a settler from Sierra Leone, and an indigene from the Central Region of Ghana. He was educated in Accra and Cape Coast (where he attended Adisadel College[4]) in Ghana, and Freetown, Sierra Leone, and worked briefly as a newspaper reporter and editor before joining the staff of Radio Ghana in 1955 as a broadcaster. A precociously intelligent young man, he continued to pursue his interest in literature and storytelling, occasionally contributing to the BBC's African Writers' Club radio show and even dabbling as an actor in London, appearing in a stage version of Waiting for Wanda in the early 1960s[5] before it was produced for TV by the BBC.
Parkes also worked as a speech writer for Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first president, and later worked at NAFTI (Ghana's Film and Television Institute). Parkes was later president of the Ghana Society of Writers and in the 1970s he worked for the Ghanaian Ministry of Information in Accra. In 1967 he wrote and presented the BBC radio portrait of the American poet Langston Hughes, who had been instrumental in Parkes' rise to recognition outside of Ghana. Parkes worked in film for much of his later life. He died in Accra in May 2004.[6]
Familyedit
Frank Kobina Parkes was part of – and possibly the pioneer of – a Ghanaian artistic dynasty: the well-known Ghanaian broadcaster and novelist Cameron Duodu was his brother-in-law, and his younger brother Jerry Parkes (also a broadcaster as well as a scientist) was the father of contemporary Ghanaian writer, social commentator and scientist Nii Ayikwei Parkes. Another nephew, Sam Yarney, is the author of a series of Christian thriller novels, and one of Parkes' sons, also named Frank, is a gospel musician.
Bibliographyedit
An African Treasury (anthology, ed. Langston Hughes) (1960)
Voices of Ghana: literary contributions to the Ghana Broadcasting System 1955-57 (anthology, ed. Henry Swanzy) (1958), 2nd edition ed. by Victoria Ellen Smith, 2018
^Mbella Sonne Dipoko, Présence Africaine, quoted in Hans M. Zell, Carol Bundy & Virginia Coulon (eds), A New Reader's Guide to African Literature, Heinemann Educational Books, 1983, p. 136.
^M. Bulane, The New African, quoted in Zell, Bundy & Coulon (1983), p. 136.
^Hughes, Langston (1960). An African Treasury. Osmania University, Digital Library Of India. Crown Publishers, Inc.
"African Heaven" in digital copy of An African Treasury at archive.org
British Library archive reference for BBC recording of Frank Parkes' tribute to Langston Hughes
April 14, 2024
frank, kobina, parkes, march, 1932, 2004, ghanaian, journalist, broadcaster, poet, author, book, songs, from, wilderness, university, london, press, 1965, widely, anthologised, perhaps, best, known, poem, african, heaven, which, echoes, title, carl, vechten, c. Frank Kobina Parkes 8 March 1932 23 May 2004 1 was a Ghanaian journalist broadcaster and poet He was the author of one book Songs from the Wilderness University of London Press 1965 but is widely anthologised and is perhaps best known for his poem African Heaven which echoes the title of Carl Van Vechten s controversial 1926 novel Nigger Heaven and was selected by Langston Hughes for inclusion in the groundbreaking anthology of African writing An African Treasury 1960 Parkes poetic style an intelligent rhythmic free verse brimming with confidence and undercut with humour is believed to owe much to the Senegalese poet David Diop one of the pioneers of the negritude movement Reviewing Songs from the Wilderness Mbella Sonne Dipoko said Mr Parkes is one of the fine poets writing today about Africa and the world 2 The book was hailed as a landmark not only in Ghanaian poetry but in African poetry as a whole 3 Frank Kobina ParkesBornFrancis Ernest Kobina Parkes 1932 03 08 8 March 1932Korle Bu GhanaDied23 May 2004 2004 05 23 aged 72 Korle Bu Accra GhanaOccupationWriterPeriod1960 2004GenrePoetryLiterary movementNegritudeNotable works African Heaven Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Family 2 Bibliography 3 References 4 External linksBiography editFrancis Ernest Kobina Parkes was born in 1932 1 at Korle Bu Gold Coast now Ghana to a wealthy pharmacist a settler from Sierra Leone and an indigene from the Central Region of Ghana He was educated in Accra and Cape Coast where he attended Adisadel College 4 in Ghana and Freetown Sierra Leone and worked briefly as a newspaper reporter and editor before joining the staff of Radio Ghana in 1955 as a broadcaster A precociously intelligent young man he continued to pursue his interest in literature and storytelling occasionally contributing to the BBC s African Writers Club radio show and even dabbling as an actor in London appearing in a stage version of Waiting for Wanda in the early 1960s 5 before it was produced for TV by the BBC Parkes also worked as a speech writer for Kwame Nkrumah Ghana s first president and later worked at NAFTI Ghana s Film and Television Institute Parkes was later president of the Ghana Society of Writers and in the 1970s he worked for the Ghanaian Ministry of Information in Accra In 1967 he wrote and presented the BBC radio portrait of the American poet Langston Hughes who had been instrumental in Parkes rise to recognition outside of Ghana Parkes worked in film for much of his later life He died in Accra in May 2004 6 Family edit Frank Kobina Parkes was part of and possibly the pioneer of a Ghanaian artistic dynasty the well known Ghanaian broadcaster and novelist Cameron Duodu was his brother in law and his younger brother Jerry Parkes also a broadcaster as well as a scientist was the father of contemporary Ghanaian writer social commentator and scientist Nii Ayikwei Parkes Another nephew Sam Yarney is the author of a series of Christian thriller novels and one of Parkes sons also named Frank is a gospel musician Bibliography editAn African Treasury anthology ed Langston Hughes 1960 Songs from the Wilderness 1965 Poems of Black Africa anthology ed Wole Soyinka 1975 Voices of Ghana literary contributions to the Ghana Broadcasting System 1955 57 anthology ed Henry Swanzy 1958 2nd edition ed by Victoria Ellen Smith 2018References edit a b Frank Kobina Parkes African scholar educator diplomat Britannica www britannica com Retrieved 20 November 2023 Mbella Sonne Dipoko Presence Africaine quoted in Hans M Zell Carol Bundy amp Virginia Coulon eds A New Reader s Guide to African Literature Heinemann Educational Books 1983 p 136 M Bulane The New African quoted in Zell Bundy amp Coulon 1983 p 136 Hughes Langston 1960 An African Treasury Osmania University Digital Library Of India Crown Publishers Inc British Library dead link List of African writers by countryExternal links edit African Heaven in digital copy of An African Treasury at archive org British Library archive reference for BBC recording of Frank Parkes tribute to Langston Hughes Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frank Kobina Parkes amp oldid 1216635337, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
