Anansi’s Gold by Yepoka Yeebo wins the 2024 Plutarch Award

Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World by Yepoka Yeebo has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Plutarch Award for the Best Biography of 2023. The Plutarch Award, named after the father of biography, is given annually by the Biographers International Organization for the year’s best biography. Let’s delve into the captivating story behind this remarkable book. The books name comes from Anansi, a famous trickster spider from African mythology.

Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World

In this genre-bending debut, Yepoka Yeebo reconstructs the strange life of John Ackah Blay-Miezah, a big, cigar-chomping flim-flam man from Ghana. Blay-Miezah masterminded one of the largest, longest-running con jobs the world has ever seen. The stage is set in the tumultuous early days of Ghana’s independence from British colonialism, when much of Ghana’s considerable wealth was still held in London. However, when Ghana requested its money, a significant portion of it had mysteriously disappeared due to bad investments. This lodged itself in Blay-Miezah’s brain, where it morphed over time into a bold plan fueled by criminal intent.

For years, Blay-Miezah lived lavishly, outwitting investors, Ghanaian governments, Swiss bankers, British businessmen, and even the FBI. Yepoka Yeebo’s meticulous research takes us on a journey through obscure and far-flung sources. She uncovers people willing to talk and documents that survived war, fire, and rampages. Yeebo skillfully pulls back Blay-Miezah’s curtain of lies and fake identities, revealing how he charmed his victims out of millions.

Anansi’s Gold sits at the intersection of biography, history, and investigative journalism. It’s a wry, penetrating, and unfailingly entertaining exploration of human duplicity and greed. The narrative voice in this book is distinct and trustworthy, capturing our attention from the first page to the last. John Ackah Blay-Miezah’s story emerges as both illuminating and cautionary, leaving an indelible mark on readers.

Yepoka Yeebo, upon hearing the news of her win, expressed deep honor and gratitude for being the recipient of the 2024 Plutarch Award. She highlighted the challenges of writing about someone who isn’t a household name, in a place unfamiliar to many readers, and digging through a past full of misdirection and suppression. Her work in Anansi’s Gold defies these challenges, making it a deserving winner of this prestigious literary prize.

Anansi’s Gold: The Man Who Looted the West, Outfoxed Washington, and Swindled the World is a compelling biography that sheds light on a fascinating and audacious character, weaving together history, intrigue, and the art of deception. Its recognition with the Plutarch Award underscores its significance in the world of biographical literature. If you want to learn more about the Plutarch Award, our shop has a section dedicated to all the previous Plutarch Award winners.