‘So very proud’: Retired Hackney teacher helps Ghanaian primary school students become published authors

Juliet Coley Bremmer with some of the young authors

Nineteen African schoolchildren have officially become published authors – thanks to a retired Hackney teacher and a former Islington librarian.

The youngsters, aged between 9 and 12 and all pupils at Deacons Academy in the Ghanaian capital of Accra, took part in a three-year project to write a book.

Headteacher Janet Obiri-Yeboah, who used to be a librarian at City and Islington College, worried that her pupils would fall behind during the pandemic.

She organised some literacy and literature lessons over Zoom to help the children keep up.

When she later decided it would be beneficial to have some expert guidance, she knew exactly who to call: Juliet Coley Bremmer, an award-winning former teacher in Hackney and an independent publisher of children’s books.

Obiri-Yeboah, who founded Deacons in 2013, said: “When the pandemic came, I was fearful that my children would academically fall behind. I knew Juliet had retired from teaching due to ill health so all I had to do was convince her to help the children and she did not hesitate.”

Janet Obiri-Yeboah and Juliet Coley Bremmer

So twice a week, Bremmer would log on to Zoom and go through comprehension activities and read and evaluate stories with the schoolchildren.

It was during one such virtual meeting that one of the children asked Bremmer if she would help them write a book.

Inspired, Bremmer crowdfunded over £1,600 to support the project and asked the children to conduct research on their country.

They wrote about Ghana’s history, resources and its famous sons and daughters. Two of Bremmer’s former students in north London also feature – footballer Emmanuel Frimpong and songwriter and producer Nana Rogues, both of whom have Ghanaian heritage.

The children’s work was collated and turned into a 40-page book, titled Deacons Ghana: The place we live, learn and love.

At an emotional launch ceremony in Accra in June, Bremmer finally met her charges face to face. Also in attendance were Mercy Naa Oyoo Quartey, Ghana’s national literacy trainer, Juliet Wiafe, the country’s president of early childhood, and Enoch Gyethah, director of Ghana National Association Council of Private Schools.

Naa Oyoo Quartey was ecstatic about the children’s achievement in getting a book published, describing it as “groundbreaking”.

A delighted Bremmer said on the day: “Today on this planet, 19 young African children became published authors and I am so very proud of each and every one of them.”

Since the start of the project, Bremmer has been made a patron of Deacons Academy and awarded a citation of honour by the school for her work with both staff and students.

You can read the book online here.