N O T S E - Moulding A Monarch

A Memoir by Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV
We are delighted to welcome His Royal Majesty Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV, Osu Mantse of the Osu State to the Weltmuseum Wien for a special book reading.

Moulding A Monarch is a introspective memoir documenting the personal, intellectual, and cultural transformation of Notse Nii Nortey Owuo IV, President of the Osu Stool Council and traditional leader of the Ga people of Osu, Ghana. The work explores the profound journey from his early days as an international student navigating the cold, unfamiliar landscape of New England at Colby-Sawyer College to his legal studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and ultimately to his ascension as Osu Mantse.

Through vivid narratives of cultural friction, rigorous academic pursuits, and personal reckonings, the memoir deconstructs the conventional narratives surrounding African royalty, leadership, and post-colonial identity. It reflects on the quiet burdens of responsibility, the subtle realities of prejudice, and the deliberate act of shedding a colonial identity—symbolized by reclaiming his Ga name over his birth name, Bernard. Blending personal anecdote, philosophical inquiry, and cultural criticism, Moulding A Monarch serves as an examination of how foreign crucibles refine authentic sovereignty, offering a blueprint for modern traditional leadership rooted in service, critical thought, and unwavering self-determination.

In cooperation with the Directorate-General for International Cultural Affairs of the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The book presentation will be moderated by Henrie Dennis, curator, Africa and the African Diaspora Collection, Weltmuseum Wien.