Elizabeth-Irene Baitie is a remarkable woman who has successfully navigated two seemingly distinct worlds—science and literature. As a clinical biochemist and the director of Patholab Solutions Medical Laboratory, which she founded in 2000, she has contributed significantly to healthcare. However, her true passion for writing has made her a celebrated author in Africa.
Elizabeth holds a BSc in Biochemistry with Chemistry (First Class Hons) from the University of Ghana and an MSc in Clinical Biochemistry from the University of Surrey, UK. An alumna of Achimota School, she fondly recalls her love for literature, describing how, as a child, all she did was “read books for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.” Despite her fascination with the sciences, she never let go of her dream of becoming an author.
In 2003, after running her medical laboratory for two years, Elizabeth responded to a call from the Macmillan Writer’s Prize for Africa, which sought submissions for a specific age group. Although her book was shortlisted, it did not win. Rather than feeling discouraged, Elizabeth saw this as a boost of confidence.
By 2006, the competition opened again, and this time Elizabeth was ready. She submitted her story, A Saint in Brown Sandals, which won the first prize and earned her a $5,000 cash award and a publishing contract with Macmillan. The book, centered around an 11-year-old girl dealing with low self-esteem, marked her official entry into the literary world.
Her success continued in 2010 when her book The Twelve Hearts won the first prize for Best Book in Literature in Africa. The book, which has sold over 100,000 copies in Africa and beyond, was a testament to Elizabeth’s perseverance. Two weeks before the book’s submission deadline, her computer crashed. However, with the support of her father, who bought her a new laptop, she rewrote the entire book and submitted it on time.
Following The Twelve Hearts, Elizabeth wrote The Dawn Challenge and Rattling in the Closet, both of which won awards for young adult African literature. Her next book, The Lion’s Whisper, was inspired by events in Ghana in 1979.
Elizabeth had always aspired to work with a literary agent, understanding that they could help expand the reach of her books across borders. In 2019, she signed with Sarah Audina, a literary agent who helped her secure publishing contracts in Italy, the UK, Portugal, and the United States. Her latest books, Flying Up the Mountain and Crossing the Stream, were awarded the Children’s Africana Book Award in the USA.
Balancing her writing career with running a medical laboratory is no easy feat. Elizabeth candidly shares that “the book does not write itself,” and she often has to make time after a busy day to write. Despite the challenges, she says the effort is always worth it.
When asked how long it takes her to write a book, Elizabeth explains that her debut novel, A Saint in Brown Sandals, was the quickest to write, taking just five weeks to draft and another 12 weeks to edit. However, as her writing has matured, the process has become more time-consuming, with each book taking between six months and two years to complete. She is currently working on a book that was due for submission in May 2023, and as of September 2024, it remains a work in progress.
Looking ahead, Elizabeth hopes to write one book a year until she turns 90. Her advice to aspiring writers? “Read good books and read widely.”
Elizabeth-Irene Baitie is an inspiring example of how one can excel in multiple fields, proving that passion, dedication, and perseverance are key to achieving success in both science and literature.