The Persistence of Form in Capturing Mrs. Karoki and Putting Her to Bed (Figuratively): Billy Kahora’s Experience of Writing The Applications , a Novel in Progress

Panel: The Classical Novel/Fil

Kwani? as Social Contract: Reflections on the Post-2000 Sub-Saharan Literary Renaissance

Kwani? can be described as a literary space—the broadest signifier possible—and this is on purpose because even for us who work there, who drive its direction, pause when we try and think of an exact definition. Kwani? is in essence many things to many people who are involved in it at one level or the other. Kwani? is a journal, a space, a series of imprints, a literary festival amongst many other things. Back when Kwani? started—some, especially those who were there at the beginning and this..

La « renaissance littéraire » africaine en débat

De nombreux auteurs africains ont connu une visibilité accrue sur la scène littéraire internationale au tournant du xxie siècle tandis que sur le continent ont émergé des revues littéraires, des maisons d’édition locales ou des collectifs d’écrivains qui semblent témoigner d’une vitalité littéraire et créatrice retrouvée. Ces phénomènes ont été relayés dans les médias et par les critiques à travers les expressions de « renaissance » ou de renouveau (« renewal ») littéraires. Si le thème de la migration occupe une place toujours importante, de nouveaux thèmes ont fait leur apparition et des genres souvent sous-représentés ou considérés comme mineurs, science-fiction, roman sentimental ou roman policier, se sont vus réinvestis par de nombreux écrivains. Ce numéro explore les diverses facettes de la production littéraire africaine anglophone et francophone du début du xxie siècle en vue de mettre au jour ce que l’expression de « renaissance littéraire » recouvre. The turn of the twenty-first century witnessed a boom in African writing, with writers gaining visibility on the international literary scene. Parallel to this movement, on the continent itself, literary journals, publishing houses or writers’ organizations flourished, seemingly pointing to newfound creativity. Within academic and literary circles, critics, writers and scholars spoke of literary “renewal” and “renaissance.” Others described the generation of writers emerging in the late nineties and two-thousands as “the third generation” of African writers and sought to shed light on the distinguishing features of this generation while acknowledging elements of continuity with its predecessors. While tropes such as migration, war and poverty still occupy center stage, new themes have appeared such as gender, sexual identity or religious radicalization and international terrorism. Moreover, once “minor” or under-represented genres have been invested or re-invested by this new generation, whether it be science-fiction, crime fiction, fantasy or romance. This issue aims at exploring contemporary African literary production in English and French, in order to question the notion of “literary renaissance.