230210 West-African English Fiction (S) (WiSe 2018/2019)

The West African countries Ghana (1957) and Nigeria (1960) were ammong the first African nation-states to gain political independence with others soon following suit. In this socio-political-cultural context a new species of African fiction emerged which served as an imaginary reclamation of the pre-colonial and colonial past as well as a reflection of the post-colonial present.

This class will focus on one classical example from Nigeria that highlihts the multi-levelled fabric of a pre-colonial society (Achebe, TFA) and three 21st century varieties of an increasingly globalized African literature negotiating facets of post-colonial life at home (Abani, Graceland) and in a contemporary environment of cultural exchange betweeen Ghana and Great Britain (Kelman, Pigeon English) and Nigeria and the U.S. (Adichie, Americanah).

Literaturangaben

Term texts:

Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart (1957)
Chris Abani, Graceland (2004)
Stephen Kelman, Pigeon English (2011)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah (2013)