Biography
The Seeds of Storytelling
CNN Lokko’s writing journey began long before her first publication. As a child in Ghana, her favorite assignment in elementary school was writing essays—a creative exercise that gave her the freedom to build a complete story from a simple prompt. This early passion was nurtured by an unlikely chore: washing the dishes. The kitchen sink stood by a window, offering her glimpses of the compound and the neighbor’s house. As she washed, her mind roamed, turning the mundane sights outside into original stories. It was a cherished time of little distraction and total creative freedom.
The Defining Moment
While attending the boarding house at St. Mary’s Secondary School in the late 80s and early 90s, CNN read Enid Blyton’s Mallory Towers. She was instantly inspired, excited to read a story about girls in a school environment much like her own, albeit in another part of the world. She decided then to write a similar story based in Ghana.
When she shared her dream of becoming a writer with her creative mother, she was urged to focus on a stable career that would guarantee income, leaving writing for a hobby. CNN responded to this advice with quiet defiance, famously writing on the back inside cover of an exercise book: “I am going to be a writer willy nilly!”
From Playwright to Fiction Author
Despite her commitment to fiction, her creative energy initially flowed into drama. She had long enjoyed acting in church skits, and as a teenager, she transitioned to writing, acting, and directing plays for the youth group to perform in the adult sanctuary. This passion for playwriting continued through her college years in Ghana and the United States, momentarily eclipsing her childhood dream of writing fiction.
After completing her doctorate and with a new baby at home, the thought of entering the formal workforce as a professor felt confining. She longed instead for the bliss and freedom of creative writing. It was during this period that she wrote her first work of fiction, Adventures of Elizabeth Sam. Since then, CNN has authored the popular Trinity High series and continues to develop new fiction and produce plays whenever the opportunity arises.
CNN Lokko Books
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