Quartey was born in
Accra, Ghana, to a Ghanaian father and an African-American mother, both of whom were lecturers at the
University of Ghana. He drew his writing inspiration from the many books that filled his house at a very young age, and wrote his first novel when he was about eight or nine years old. As a teenager, his passion shifted to medicine, and he began to pursue his dream of becoming a physician. prior to entering the
University of Ghana Medical School for his training. His studies at the University of Ghana came to an abrupt end when his mother decided to return to the United States with the family following the death of his father. Quartey subsequently gained admission to
Howard University, where he trained to as a medical doctor. After graduating, and residency training in Internal Medicine, Kwei joined the
University of California, Los Angeles, where he took an extension course in creative writing. == Awards ==