Universität Wien
Warning! The directory is not yet complete and will be amended until the beginning of the term.

135824 KO Social History of Literature: Institutions of African LiteratureS: Past, Present, FutureS (2020W)

6.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 13 - Europäische und Vergleichende Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 32 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Tuesday 06.10. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 13.10. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 20.10. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 27.10. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 03.11. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 10.11. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 17.11. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 24.11. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 01.12. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 15.12. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 12.01. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 19.01. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG
  • Tuesday 26.01. 16:00 - 17:30 Hybride Lehre
    Seminarraum 2 Sensengasse 3a 1.OG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course explores the links between African literatures and institutions; be they academic, socio-cultural, economic or political. The aim is to provide students with knowledge of the entanglements of literature within social bodies, such as publishing houses; literary festivals; LINGOs (literary non-governmental organisations); charities and patronages; mediation and media landscapes; libraries; literary awards; magazines; academic journals; universities and professional associations such as the African Literature Association (ALA) whose 2019 theme builds the core of the course.
Through dedicated readings and engaging class discussions, students will learn about major literary and cultural institutions which have decisively shaped, currently determine and might influence the production, circulation and mediation of literatures from selected parts of Africa and its diasporas. Besides acquiring the methodology to analyse these institutions and critically reflect on their roles in the visibility of the corpus they plan to market, students will also be equipped with epistemological and technical tools they can use to empirically participate in local or regional literary and cultural projects related to Africa and its diasporas.

Assessment and permitted materials

Prior critical reading of the course material that will be regularly updated on the digital space, active and open participation in class discussions and a group presentation on a selected topic will be expected from all participants.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Given the conversational nature of the course, each participant will have to pass a 20-minutes oral examination either on site or through a digital platform at the end of the semester.

Examination topics

Reading list

Indicative Bibliography and Webpages

Attree, L. 2013. "The Caine Prize and Contemporary African Writing". Research in African Literatures 44(2), 35-47. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/506528.
Binyavanga. 2005. "How to write about Africa". https://granta.com/?s=how+to+write+about+africa, accessed on July 27th 2020
Chakava, Henry. 1996. Publishing in Africa: One Man's Perspective. Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers.
Dobrota, Pucherová. 2012. "A Continent Learns to Tell its Story at Last": Notes on the Caine Prize, Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 48:1, 13-25, DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2011.595157
Doseline Kiguru (2016) Prizing African literature: creating a literary taste, Social Dynamics, 42:1, 161-174, DOI: 10.1080/02533952.2016.1158484

Harchi, Kaoutar. 2016. Je n'ai qu'une langue. Ce n'est pas la mienne. Pauvert: Paris.
Kiarie, Kamau & Kirimi Mitambo (eds.). 2016. Coming of Age. Strides in African Publishing. Essays in Honour of Dr Henry Chakava @ 70. East African Educational Publishers. Nairobi.
Mani, Venkat. 2013. "Borrowing Privileges: Libraries and the Institutionalization of World Literature". Modern Language Quarterly 74 (2): 239-260.
Strauhs, Doreen. 2013. African Literary NGOs. Power, Politics, and Participation. Palgrave Macmillan: New York.

Webpages

https://www.arabicfiction.org/en/about-the-prize
https://openbookfestival.co.za/
https://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru_nJHCwNzg
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Arts---Entertainment/Stimmen-Afrikas-Literatur-und-Bildung-516781041760524/
http://www.ceytu.fr/

Association in the course directory

MA M2, SAL.T1, SAL.T2, SAL.GR

Last modified: Th 04.07.2024 00:13