In Memoriam: Elikplim Akorli (1984 -2025)
by Martin Egblewogbe on behalf of Writers Project of Ghana
Elikplim – thoughtful, intense, giving. You are sorely missed, brother.
Elikplim Akorli was one of the young poets who heralded the recent poetry renaissance in Accra, now just beyond its second decade, and he did not hold back from sharing his rather immense talent. Open to learning, he continuously improved his craft, and also did not shy from sharing his work for critical analysis. In this way, he made deep connections with many people in the writing community.
He boldly explored different ways of writing and performing, leading to a unique and distinctive style on page and on stage. He featured on numerous occasions in our programmes: on radio, at public readings, at the Pa Gya! Festival, and so on. He also contributed poetry to the first edition of the Journal of the Writers Project of Ghana.
Elikplim was a well-known and active participant in the Ghanaian literary arts scene. His openness, simplicity, and penchant for rich humour made him a friend to many. His love for poetry cannot be denied: his signal hissing when he took to the stage was always a herald to an often unexpected piece, and a powerful delivery, from Ghana’s own “god of poetry”.
Elikplim authored two books — collections of poetry — to his credit: A Hearts Quest and Purple Harmattan. Apart from the poems that appear in these collections, he had many other poems, some of which were performed on stage, and many others which were shared privately. By the time of his passing, Elikplim’s evolution as a poet was at a stage of maturity, and his recent poems showed a masterful control of the art form; his work also took on a more intense, introspective, and spiritual turn.
In 2024, he informed us about a project he was working on, which he felt would bring the richness of our traditional heritage and religion into his work. He was convinced that this work would deepen our awareness and understanding of ourselves, as a people with a distinct culture. Elikplim gave us some glimpses of this new style in presentations on our radio show, Writers Project on Citi FM, and elsewhere: it was profound.
In his collection of poetry, A Heart’s Quest (2012), Elikplim dared to bare his self and expose his innermost thoughts, and these lines from “My Homeward Journey” are almost prophetic. But they showed also his view of life as a journey home.
My life, my journey home
Has meaning, for a current on my inside says so
But, because a lot more people are caught in the conditions of the world
Instead of the true pearl to crack and unveil
I would be long gone before they can begin to assess me,
I would be long gone before they would know
What they truly should have done...
It is Earth nonsense!
Worthy of change and consideration,
This is the way I see it.
I am a young man
Who recently celebrated his birthday
But this is the meaning of the birth unveiled
The message of going home
On a bright morning.
Elikplim, it is really sad that you had to leave us at this time, but we believe that you answered a higher calling.
Thank you for all you gave of yourself, and we wish you a peaceful rest.
The late Elikplim Akorli was published in the Journal of the Writers Project of Ghana.