Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has recently unveiled the Russian language edition of his memoir, “My First Coup D’etat and Other Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa,” at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.
Mahama described the book, first published in July 2012, as a memoir detailing his childhood experiences and the historical context of Ghana and Africa during the politically and economically turbulent 1970s to 1990s. He also mentioned that the book has been translated into Portuguese.
During the launch, Mahama drew attention to a chapter he thought would particularly resonate with the Russian audience, recounting his student days at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow during Gorbachev’s Perestroika era.
He shared memories of his philosophy lecturer, Mr. Gudoshnik, who preferred an interactive teaching method over the traditional approach, telling students, “We’re going to learn from each other. I’ll tell you what’s in the textbook, and you tell me what you know and what you think about it.”
Mahama expressed his appreciation to the Russian Academy of Sciences, Comrade Dmitriy Savelyev, a member of the Russian State Duma, the Russia-Ghana Parliamentary Friendship Association, and his old friends and comrades who contributed to the translation and organization of the launch event.
He also thanked Nana Ama Danquah, his friend and editor, for encouraging him to write the book and share his stories with a wider audience.
Encouraging the audience to read the memoir, Mahama highlighted its accessible and journalistic style, which aims to present the African story in a relatable way. He expressed hope that the book would become a valuable resource in Russian academia for those interested in Africa.
