The Students of African Languages and Literature (SALL) at University of Wisconsin-Madison invite submissions for its second annual graduate conference, featuring Prof. Adélékè Adéẹ̀kọ́
of Ohio State University as the keynote speaker.
The Conference, Africa and the ‘Postcolonial Incredible,‘ will take place on April 13, 2016 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Conference description
From Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al- Shabab in Kenya, the coup attempt in Burundi, the protests in Tunisia, to xenophobic attacks in South Africa—Africa is undergoing changes occasioned by the postcolonial conditions on the continent. These conditions are rooted in the hermeneutics of what a scholar has called the “postcolonial incredible.” The incredible is “not simply a breach but an outlandish infraction of normality and its limits.” How do these infractions impinge on African literature, culture, languages, music, art, religion, politics, economy, geography, science, technology, and epistemology in the 21st century? What particular effects do these “outlandish infractions of normality” have on Africa and its different contexts in this century? Can these infractions be mitigated and if so, what role can Africa’s expressive cultures play in reversing them?
To answer these questions, SALL seeks presentations that examine Africa’s prospects within protracted infractions, and explore the dynamic changes that have further helped to define African literature, language, culture, indigenous knowledge, religion, music, health and healing, and other fields of knowledge in the 21st century.
SALL welcomes presentations from graduate students in all fields including cultural studies, linguistics, foreign language and literatures, performance studies, art and art history, etc.
Directions and deadline
Please submit abstracts of 200 – 250 words including presenter’s name, university affiliation, email address, and AV needs to sall.gsc.conference@gmail.com.
Presentations will be limited to 20 minutes and must be given in English. The deadline for submission is February 24, 2016. Notification of acceptance will be sent by February 29, 2016.