The Spark

The Spark Index

The Spark was a weekly newspaper launched by Kwame Nkrumah, Prime Minister of Ghana, in 1963. Subtitled “A Socialist Weekly of the African Revolution”, the name, The Spark, was clearly inspired by Lenin’s newspaper “Iskra”.

The Spark sought to promote Marxist and socialist ideas in Ghana and across Africa as a whole. It reproduced Nkrumah’s speeches and articles as well as those of other government officials and cadre of his Convention People’s Party. It opposed imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism and gave support to liberation struggles, in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It supported civil rights and Black Liberation struggles in the United States.

The Spark reprinted materials from Soviet, Chinese and Eastern European publications. It also carried articles by a range of foreign Marxists, including J.B. Marks, Brian Bunting and Michael Harmel from South Africa, Idris Cox, Jack Woddis, Pat Sloan and D.N. Pritt from Britain, and Victor Perlo and James E. Jackson from the United States.

The Spark ceased publication in 1966 after Nkrumah was overthrown in a CIA-inspired military coup.

Here we have reproduced an almost complete run of The Spark, with the exception of the first 17 issues.

1963

Number 18, April 12, 1963
Number 19, April 19, 1963
Number 20, April 26, 1963
Number 21, May 3, 1963
Number 22, May 10, 1963
Number 23, May 17, 1963
Number 24, May 24, 1963
Number 25, May 31, 1963
Number 26, June 7, 1963
Number 27, June 14, 1963
Number 28, June 21, 1963
Number 29, June 28, 1963
Number 30, July 5, 1963
Number 31, July 12, 1963
Number 32, July 19, 1963
Number 33, July 26, 1963
Number 34, August 2, 1963
Number 35, August 9, 1963
Number 36, August 16, 1963
Number 37, August 23, 1963
Number 38, August 30, 1963
Number 39, September 6, 1963
Number 40, September 13, 1963
Number 41, September 20, 1963
Number 42, September 27, 1963
Number 43, October 4, 1963
Number 44, October 11, 1963
Number 45, October 18, 1963
Number 46, October 25, 1963
Number 47, November 1, 1963
Number 48, November 8, 1963
Number 49, November 15, 1963
Number 50, November 22, 1963
Number 51, November 29, 1963
Number 52, December 6, 1963
Number 53, December 11, 1963
Number 54, December 20, 1963
Number 55, December 28, 1963

1964

Number 56, January 3, 1964
Number 57, January 8, 1964
Number 58, January 17, 1964
Number 59, January 24, 1964
Number 60, January 31, 1964
Number 61, February 5, 1964
Number 62, February 14, 1964
Number 63, February 21, 1964
Number 64, February 28, 1964
Number 65, March 9, 1964
Number 66, March 13, 1964
Number 67, March 17, 1964
Number 68, March 26, 1964
Number 69, April 3 , 1964
Number 70, April 10 , 1964
Number 71, April 17 , 1964
Number 72, April 22 , 1964
Number 73, May 1, 1964
Number 74, May 8, 1964
Number 75, May 15, 1964
Number 76, May 22, 1964
Number 77, May 29, 1964
Number 78, June 12, 1964
Number 79, June 19, 1964
Number 80, June 26, 1964
Number 81, July 3, 1964
Number 82, July 10, 1964
Number 83, July 17, 1964
Number 84, July 24, 1964
Number 85, July 31, 1964
Number 86, August 7, 1964
Number 87, August 14, 1964
Number 88, August 21, 1964
Number 89, August 28, 1964
Number 90, September 4, 1964
Number 91, September 11, 1964
Number 92, September 21, 1964
Number 93, September 25, 1964
Number 94, October 2, 1964
Number 95, October 9, 1964
Number 96, October 16, 1964
Number 97, October 23, 1964
Number 98, October 30, 1964
Number 99, November 6, 1964
Number 100, November 13, 1964
Number 101, November 20, 1964
Number 102, November 27, 1964
Number 103 [missing]
Number 104, December 11, 1964
Number 105, December 18, 1964
Number 106, December 24, 1964
Number 107, December 31, 1964

1965

1966

Number 168, January 7, 1966
Number 169, January 14, 1966
Number 170, January 21, 1966
Number 171, January 28, 1966
Number 172, February 4, 1966
Number 173, February 11, 1966