Course for international guest/part time students
- Faculty
- Faculty of Humanities
- Organization
- BTK Department of English Studies
- Code
- BMI-ANGD17-CP12aE.02
- Title
- Elective CP Specialisation Seminar - Foundations and Perspectives: The Anglophone African Novel after 2010
- Usual semester
- Spring
- ECTS
- 3
- Language
- en
- Learning outcomes
- The main aim of the course is to offer a non-comprehensive glimpse at some of the tendencies of the contemporary African novel written in English. Besides the discussion of the individual novels, some of the contemporary cultural discussions and theoretical frameworks informing these works will also be contextualized. Knowledge Students will acquire comprehensive knowledge of the major trends, thematic directions, and dominant literary features of contemporary African novels written in English. They will become familiar with the role of literary prizes, critical discourses, and theoretical frameworks in shaping the reception of African literature, as well as with key interpretative paradigms related to the colonial legacy. Skills Students will develop the ability to conduct independent and critical analyses of contemporary African literary works, with particular attention to thematic, aesthetic, and ethical dimensions. They will be able to situate literary texts within broader cultural, historical, and theoretical contexts, and to articulate their arguments coherently in both oral and written form. Attitude The course fosters cultural sensitivity, openness, and reflective critical thinking in relation to global literary processes. Students will develop an awareness of the social responsibility of literature and the ethical dimensions of interpretation. Autonomy and Responsibility Students will take responsibility for the academic grounding of their interpretations and will be able to formulate independent positions on contested issues. They will critically reflect on the impact of literary canons, prize systems, and critical discourses, as well as on their own interpretative positions.
- Course content
- During the course we are going to look at: 1) how the reception of contemporary African literature is intertwined with literary prizes, 2) some of the most important themes emerging in contemporary African fiction (including but not limited to environment and slow violence, technological development, urban and rural experiences, etc.) and 3) what aesthetic-ethical approaches authors rely on to negotiate the legacy of colonization 50-60 years after most African countries gained independence.
- Assessment method
- The end mark is given based on a home paper of cca. 2000 words OR and in-class midterm and endterm tests as well as regular in-class participation.
- Bibliography
- a) compulsory: Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. “Jumping Monkey Hill.” Granta 95: Loved Ones, 2006. Galgut, Damon. The Promise. Penguin, 2021. Habila, Helon. Oil on Water. Penguin, 2010. Mbue, Imbolo. Behold the Dreamers. Random House, 2016. Mengiste, Maaza. The Shadow King. W. W. Norton & Company, 2019. Wainana, Binyavanga. “How to Write About Africa.” Granta 92: The View from Africa, 2005. b) recommended (for the individual presenters): Emerging African Voices. A Study of Contemporary African Literature. Ed. Walter P. Collins, III, Cambria Press, 2010. Krishnan, Madhu. Contemporary African Literature in English. Global Locations, Postcolonial Identifications. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. Ngugi, Mukoma Wa. The Rise of the African Novel. Politics of Language, Identity, and Ownership. University of Michigan Press, 2018. Ojaide, Tanure. Contemporary Africa Literature: New Approaches. Carolina Academic Press, 2012. Research in African Literatures, Special Issue: Namwali Serpell’s The Old Drift: Disruption, ed. Deborah Nyangulu, vol. 43, no. 3, Fall 2022.