TOPICS: FRANCOPHONE AFRICAN LITERATURE & ARTS in Spring 2025 (VC2091A)

This course is an introduction to Francophone African literature and arts. Students will explore various forms of art produced in and/or about Africa, including literature, comics, poetry, theatre, cinema, photography, painting, sculpture, and music. The course aims to broaden students’ understanding of the multicultural, historical, political, and social contexts of artistic production across different Francophone African countries. Beginning with the Negritude movement and its emphasis on affirming African cultural roots, students will examine themes such as decolonization and postcolonialism. Other topics include orality versus writing, migration, women’s experiences and rights, social change, language, and the reappropriation and rewriting of narratives, the environment, among others.

N.B.: The class will be taught in English. All books will be available in French and in English translation. Students taking the class for French credit are encouraged to read the texts in French and write their assignments in French.