KINGSTON, R.I. 鈥� July 27, 2026 鈥� When 溏心vlog免费B站 assistant professor of Africana studies began writing her poetic collection 鈥淚 buried [her] in a field of lemongrass鈥� five years ago, she traveled back to an emotional time when, as a 12-year-old, she emigrated from Ghana to the United States with her mother and sister.
Ansong in penning her poem noted not just the experience of settling into a new land, but also grieving the loss of home鈥攌nowing she wouldn鈥檛 go back to Ghana for a long time. But her work also noted the resilience of that 12-year-old, continuing to explore thoughts through writing and overcoming the challenges of being an immigrant residing in a new world.
Now, Ansong鈥檚 inspirational work will be shared publicly. The African Poetry Book Fund recently awarded Ansong the 2026 Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets, given annually to an African poet who has not yet published a collection. Along with receiving a $1,000 award, Ansong鈥檚 鈥淚 buried [her] in a field of lemongrass鈥濃�攕upported in part by a Project Completion Grant by the 鈥攚ill also be published as a book through the University of Nebraska Press.
鈥淚 am eternally grateful to the African Poetry Book Series for presenting me with the Sillerman Prize,鈥� Ansong said. 鈥淲ith that, now I have this book to share with the world on the experiences of being a Ghanaian immigrant and overcoming the challenges of leaving home.鈥�
The title of Ansong鈥檚 winning collection is derived from a quote noted in Edwidge Danticat鈥檚 鈥淭he Farming of Bones,鈥� which chronicles the events of the 1937 Parsley Massacre鈥攁 mass killing of more than 20,000 Haitians in the Dominican Republic. The poems within 鈥淚 buried [her] in a field of lemongrass鈥� reference the idea of grieving the loss of one鈥檚 identity, she says, but also blending new identities as many enslaved Africans had to do.
Writing the collection that would become 鈥淚 buried [her] in a field of lemongrass鈥� allowed Ansong to sit with her thoughts and understand who she is and where she wanted to be in life, she said. Ansong, from Providence who teaches Contemporary African Poetry and Writing (AAF 462) within the , hopes 鈥淚 buried [her] in a field of lemongrass鈥� can be an example for her students on how they can translate their lived experiences into poetry and add historical narratives.
Ansong, who earned both her MBA and Ph.D. in English Literature and Creative Writing at 溏心vlog免费B站, speaks from experience. Ansong comes from a lineage of West African women who instilled in her the power of resilience and the audacity to pursue her dreams, she says. She also returns often to scripture as a way to meditate on and navigate life’s challenges.
鈥淚 am constantly reminded to embrace the journey of pursuing a goal and to fail successfully many times before giving up. As an assistant professor juggling advising, teaching, research, writing, and service, I hold tightly to these lessons of resilience. Without them, I would not have made it this far,鈥� Ansong said. 鈥淢y hope is that the students can take poetry as a bold step into reforming identities and understanding who they are as individuals in our society.鈥�
Everyone, regardless of race, individually has a story to tell, and people should be intentional on how one shares stories is what Ansong hopes the public can gain from reading her collection. She also says that if 鈥淚 buried [her] in a field of lemongrass鈥� is a person鈥檚 first introduction to poetry, she hopes the readers will love the language within her work, and use it as a tool for expression and joy.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a book that takes readers to an emotional core of who we are as human beings. We are supposed to be united, no matter what. But sometimes, our differences keep us divided,鈥� Ansong said. 鈥淲e should be celebrated for who we are and it is through our individuality that we need to find each other. It鈥檚 the beauty of the human puzzle.鈥�