Ali Mussa Ame

About

I am an Assistant Lecturer of Literature at the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), with an MSc in Creative Writing from the University of Edinburgh and a BA in Education (English and History) from SUZA. My academic and professional interests lie mainly in African literature, poetry, creative writing, literary criticism, and the teaching of literature and English in African educational contexts. My research interests include African poetry, narrative voice and point of view in poetry, reader engagement, psychoanalytic and feminist literary approaches, and the relationship between literature, language, and education. I am also interested in practical approaches to improving English language teaching, curriculum development, academic writing, and teacher professional development. Alongside my university teaching and research, I have worked as an English language tutor and international English examinations trainer, and have been involved in curriculum development and language training. These experiences have given me an interest in research and consultancy that connects academic knowledge with practical educational needs. I am also a creative writer and poet. Two of my poems have been published: “Darkness”, published in Africa Poetry Magazine and featured in Poetry World #14 in January 2026, and “A Teen’s Life”, published by Poetry Potion Online. In research, I currently have two papers submitted and undergoing peer review: “Teaching Writing Skills in the English Classroom Using Online Videos”, submitted to Essays in Education, and “Feeling Addressed: Reader Engagement in Armando Guebuza’s Your Pain”, submitted to the African Journal of Literature and Humanities. Through research and consultancy, I am interested in contributing to projects involving literature, language education, curriculum development, teacher training, academic writing, proofreading and editing, creative writing, and educational innovation. I am particularly interested in collaborative work that responds to the educational and cultural realities of Zanzibar, Tanzania, and the wider African context.

Achievements and impact

Awards and recognition

• I was awarded 4th Place out of 90 national finalists (from nearly 300 participants) in the University Category at the Digital Teaching Competition, organized by the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in collaboration with Zhejiang Normal University. Representing the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), this achievement recognized an innovative lesson on "Cooking Verbs and the Past Tense of Regular Verbs" that successfully blended student-centered pedagogy with cutting-edge digital tools—including Mentimeter, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Kahoot—to deliver interactive drills, peer dialogue, and AI-generated listening activities that significantly elevated student engagement.