Contemporary African Literature in English ― Global Locations, Postcolonial Identifications

Contemporary African Literature in English explores the contours of representation in this fascinating field. Drawing on works by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Aminatta Forna, Brian Chikwava, Ngug? wa Thiong'o, Nuruddin Farah, Chris Abani and many more, this study closes the gap between aesthetic and political notions of representation in order to interrogate the role of the literary text in the circulation of a global image of Africa. By questioning the demarcations of global and local, as identifications, the book highlights the intersection between power, creativity and authority through which the very category of African literature emerges. With chapters focusing on the construction of racialized identities, gender and conflict, the re-inscription of mythologies and strategies of address, the monograph address a broad range of issues and questions which shape the way that Africa is performed on a global stage, highlighting the contradictions and continuities of transnational literary production.

Madhu Krishnan is Lecturer in 20th and 21st century Postcolonial Writing at the University of Bristol, UK. Her research considers the construction and dissemination of a transnational idea of Africa in contemporary African writing, with particular interests in representation, space and transnationality. She has published numerous articles on African literatures and postcolonial studies in journals including ARIEL, Research in African Literatures, CLIO and Journal of Commonwealth Literature.