From principles to plotlines: Terry Mante steps into Fiction

After more than 20 years of influencing minds through nonfiction writing and business consulting, Ghanaian author and strategist Terry Mante has taken a bold creative turn with the release of his debut fiction trilogy.

Known for his insightful weekly column Insight Forge (and its predecessors Life Sense and Personal Development Series) in the Business and Financial Times, Mante has long championed personal growth, ethical leadership, and intentional living through his writing, speaking, and advisory work.

“Fiction has always been a quiet dream of mine,” Mante said in his weekly column in the Business and Financial Times on Wednesday August 6, 2025. “It lingered in the background while I wrote leadership books and articles. I kept telling myself, ‘One day.’ That day finally came after a timely push from a friend.”

That friend was author and corporate executive Petra Aba Asamoah, who urged him during the 2024 Pa Gya Literary Festival to pursue storytelling more boldly. “Terry, we need fiction from you,” she told him. The encouragement was the nudge he needed.

The result is a powerful trilogy of novels that combine realism, drama, and social commentary:

• Shifting sands follows a disgraced business mogul confronting betrayal and seeking redemption.
• The underground reformers exposes deep-rooted corruption in powerful religious institutions through the eyes of four brave whistleblowers.
• Thus saith the candidate is a political thriller set in the fictional African nation of Azuraya, where a presidential hopeful manipulates religion to win power and silence dissent.

“These stories are dramatic, layered, and sometimes uncomfortably close to reality,” Mante indicated. “But that’s the beauty of fiction. It doesn’t just inform; it confronts, entertains, and reveals.”

A strong nonfiction foundation

Before turning to fiction, Mante built a respected body of work in nonfiction. He is the author of several well-received books, including When God Lost an Election, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Life Sense, and All-round Communication. His work is rooted in helping individuals and organizations achieve clarity of purpose, excellence in execution, and ethical influence.

Mante’s voice has reached diverse audiences – from students to CEOs – through seminars, workshops, media platforms, and keynote presentations. His nonfiction blends practical insights with motivational depth, addressing themes such as identity, ambition, character, and productivity.

Terry Mante – Author, Strategist & Storyteller

Business leadership and consulting

In addition to his writing, Mante is a seasoned consultant and business strategist. He is the founder of a leadership and management development consultancy that works with private and public sector organizations across West Africa. His work includes investment facilitation, corporate training, brand development, and executive coaching.

With a background in communication, business strategy, and governance, he has advised clients across sectors, including finance, education, health, media, and non-profits.

“I’ve always been passionate about transformation—whether it’s at the level of the individual, the organization, or society,” Mante said. “Writing is just one of the tools I use to support that mission.”

Why fiction now?

Mante says his foray into fiction does not mark a departure from his nonfiction legacy, but an expansion of his creative and intellectual toolkit.

“I still believe in helping people grow intentionally and live meaningfully,” he said. “But some truths don’t just need to be taught; they need to be felt. Fiction allows us to wrestle with truth through emotion, experience, and imagination.”

He believes storytelling can be as transformative as any seminar or strategy session. “Fiction invites empathy. It stretches our perspective. It mirrors society and holds up a lens to the complexity of the human condition.”

Available now

The trilogy is now available at books.terrymante.org, where readers can purchase the titles individually or as a set.

With this new creative step, Terry Mante is inviting readers into a deeper, more immersive way of engaging with truth – not through lists and lessons, but through characters, conflicts, and consequences.

“Let’s explore truth together,” he said. “This time through the power of story.”

SOURCE: TMX

The post From principles to plotlines: Terry Mante steps into Fiction appeared first on The Business & Financial Times.

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