This virtual panel is a component of the Southeast Regional Seminar in African Studies (SERSAS) 2023 on its 50th anniversary, hosted by the University of Virginia (UVA) and organized by Katrina Spencer, Librarian for African and African American Studies.
Featured panelists include:
Kenechi Uzor, Iskanchi Press & Magazine
Ukamaka Olisakwe, Isele Magazine
Layla Mohamed, Cassava Republic Press
Gene Kannenberg, Jr., Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies, Northwestern University
These four panelists represent diverse stakeholding positions when it comes to the publication of African writers, particularly within “Western” markets. The playing field has evolved since Chinua Achebe’s 1958 Things Fall Apart and since Chimamnda Ngozi Adichie’s 2009 TED Talk, “The Danger of A Single Story.” What other names should we know and what other trends should we be looking out for within and beyond the world of academia when it comes to African writing? How do we reliably recruit great writing from African creators? Who does the recruiting and collecting? And are our platforms sufficient to support them? Our panelists are establishing pathways for the representation of Africa and Africans, and together we will discuss the points at which their missions converge and diverge. Join us and share the opportunity with a friend!