Beyond the Political Spider: Critical Issues in African Humanities by Kwesi Yankah is the first title in the newly established African Humanities Association (AHA) publication series. By integrating his own biography into a critique of the global politics of knowledge production, Yankah, through a collection of essays, interrogates critical issues confronting the Humanities that spawn intellectual hegemonies and muffle African voices. Using the example of Ghana, he brings under scrutiny, amongst others, endemic issues of academic freedom, gender inequities, the unequal global academic order, and linguistic imperialism in language policies in governance. In the face of these challenges, the author deftly navigates the complex terrain of indigenous knowledge and language in the context of democratic politics, demonstrating that agency can be liberatory when emphasising indigenous knowledge, especially expressed through the idiom of local languages and symbols, including Ananse, the protean spider, folk hero in Ghana and most parts of the pan-African world.

Beyond Empire looks at three decades of British colonial administration to assess the capacity of the independent governments of Africa to achieve independence. A wealth of archival material and a unique review of British press over those decades brings to life the dynamic and the tension of the process of decolonisation. Addressing a wide range of issues, from education, constitutional change and economic relations, Beyond Empire sheds new light on aspects of colonial history at the country level, with the focus on the African administrations themselves as agents in the decolonisation process.

Expansion of basic education in Ghana was unprecedented and brought the country to the forefront in education in Africa. The report provides analysis, lessons and policy options to developing a post-MDG strategic agenda for basic education.