I’m Clarissa Bannor, a Ghanaian-American writer of fiction and essays. My work explores identity, belonging, and the ways language, memory, and culture shape our lives. Writing is how I piece together the stories I’ve inherited, the ones I’m living, and the ones I imagine into being.
I’ve always been drawn to stories that carry both grit and tenderness—the kind you pass down around kitchen tables or stumble across in the pages of a book that finds you at the right time. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me musing on arts and literary scenes through my Substack Art of the City, or losing myself in vintage shops hunting for objects with their own stories to tell.
If you’d like to keep up with my writing, you can subscribe to my Substack, Art of the City, where I share quarterly updates, reflections, and new work.
Professional Bio
Clarissa Bannor is a Ghanaian-American writer based in Richmond, Virginia. Her fiction and essays explore themes of diaspora, language, and belonging, and her work has appeared in African Voices and other publications.
She is the founder of Art of the City, a platform highlighting arts and culture through travel, and serves as Membership Coordinator for James River Writers, a literary nonprofit. Clarissa’s background spans more than a decade in arts marketing, public relations, and cultural strategy.
She has published work in Radiant Health Magazine, VegNews, RVA Magazine, and other outlets, and is at work on a novel and a collection of essays.
Clarissa Bannor is a freelance writer, editor, and aspiring author. She previously studied arts marketing and has worked as a multimedia storyteller, marketing strategist, and communications management professional.
Clarissa blogs daily at ThisAfropolitanLife.com
Interests ::
Travel, Art, Design, Culture, and the African Diaspora.