Topics in Post-Colonial Lit

3-4 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

In the teaching of literature in many American universities, non-Western literatures, especially those of the Global South, are often underrepresented. Sub-Saharan African literatures may be among the most underrepresented, even though many African novels, stories, and poems are written in English. Those African books that do frequent syllabi are often generically “realist,” and too often are interpreted as windows into cultural difference rather than literature worth exploration for its literary value. This course provides the opportunity for students to engage with late 20th-century and 21st-century texts from diverse sub-Saharan African cultures and countries. Students will analyze a variety of literary genres and learn how the global markets for African literatures flow. Students will develop their skills of cross-cultural competency and a deeper and broader understanding of world literature.