The written text in African literature has a rich history even though pioneering works can be considered “young,” relatively speaking, since their first appearances were in the 20th century. To cite Cameroon as just one example, Francophone authors like Mongo Beti, Ferdinand Oyono, and Thérèse Kuoh-Moukoury and Anglophone authors Mbella Sonne Dipoko and Jedida Asheri are some of those whom we identify as “pioneers” even though their works do not all enjoy the same level of exposure today. If we jump to 2025, African writers are approaching different subjects and other sorts of pioneering works are emerging. In terms of favorably introducing LGBTQ protagonists into the Cameroonian novel, Frieda Ekoto is most definitely a pioneering author. This panel seeks papers which analyze pioneering texts and writings with a special focus on the reception of those authors and their works today as well as historically. The panel welcomes studies focusing on any African country and time period and what is considered “pioneering” is flexible in terms of interpretation. Please send proposals to Cheryl Toman, University of Alabama at catoman@ua.edu. Please send abstracts by February 28, 2025.
The Pioneering African Literary Text in 2025
