Soon after his death Joe de Graft was acclaimed an "elder statesman of Ghanaian letters ... a pillar in the theatre movement of Ghana [and] a creative genius of stature" (obituary, West Africa. 1979). He was also seen as "a man with a consuming passion for drama," who led "a life fully committed and devoted to the performing arts of music and drama." De Graft established himself in the eyes of the younger generation of Ghanaian writers and lovers of theater arts as a "monumental figure, teacher and practitioner in one."

Joseph Coleman de Graft, playwright, poet, novelist, and educator, was born in Cape Coast, Ghana, on 2 April 1924. His father, also named Joseph, was one of the elite coastal merchants; his mother was Janet Acquaye de Graft, a housewife. He was educated at Mfantsipim School (1939-1943), Achimota College (1944-1946), and the University College of the Gold Coast (1950-1953). The same...