143356 KU Afriphone Literatures: From Oral to Written Texts in African Languages (2020W)

In this seminar course, we trace the gradual re-orientation of African literature from the dominant 20th Century Europhone African literatures in formal curricula to a fast establishing 21st Century movement towards emphasis on Afriphone African literatures, i.e., spoken, sung, and written texts in African languages. We will analyze indigenous oral narrative genres like folktales, myths, legends, proverbs, praise songs, dirges, and lullabies across various African languages before outlining the emerging written texts of new Afriphone novelists, poets, and playwrights in various parts of Africa.

This course aims:
1. To enable students to reflect on the parametres for the definition of ‘literature’, in general, and ‘African literature’, in particular
2. To get students to think of the diglossia/multiligual situations in Africa with respect to literature
3. To enable students to be able to discuss intellectually the literary/cultural production scenario with respect to variables such as access to population groups including class, gender and social/educational status

Class interaction will be in the form of lectures.

No previous study on Africa is required.

Students who graduate from this course are prepared to pursue more advanced discussions on African literatures and the question of language in literary expressions.