African Francophone Writing: A Critical Introduction

Description

African Francophone Writing presents a comprehensive overview of African writing in the Francophone literary world. It explores the work of important classic and contemporary African writers from the 1950s to the present who, until recently, have received little critical attention. The contributors view their subjects from a diverse range of critical perspectives -- historical, thematic, psychoanalytic, feminist and post-colonial -- to provide a variety of theoretically sophisticated analyses of Francophone writing. A comprehensive introduction and an extensive chronological table are included. African Francophone literature is rapidly becoming a major discipline in universities in Britain and North America. This book will provide much needed critical material for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. [Well-known authors studied in this book include: Chraibi, Memmi and Boudjedra in the Maghreb; Sembene, Kourouma and Adiaffi in sub-Saharan Africa; Begag and Cherif from the 'Beur' community; and women writers such as Debeche, Fall and Ba.]

Ms Laila Ibnlfassi Lecturer in Francophone Literature,London Guildhall University Nicki Hitchcott Lecturer in French, University of Nottingham

'... will be immediately useful and stimulating to all those interested in questions of the representation and handling of ethnicity and questions of identity in literature.' Mike Waite, Reviews Editor, Socialist History "... a clear impression is given of the diversity of African Francophone literature. Most particularly, the sense of context is never lost, the feeling that these writers are not writing in a vacuum, that the ivory tower, if it ever existed, has been well and truly toppled. ... (the volume) will be useful to those already acquainted with African Francophone literature and a stimulating introduction to students as yet unfamiliar with its rich complexities." ASCALF "The book's dual perspective allows it to reveal connections in francophone writing that might not otherwise be considered ... a baluable guide to francophone writing in Africa." World Literature Today "The strength of the book lies in that dialogue generated by diversity, in addressing key issues, and in making new readers conscious of the multiple constraints which continue to shape the writer's search for the freedom of expression..." Bulletin of Francophone Africa