(Ü/PS) ‘We’ve Got the Power’: African Women Writers and the Call for New Voices and Visions

The African literary landscape has been deeply shaped by its colonial history, the struggle for independence and the subsequent socioeconomic-political challenges. Within this context, African women writers have emerged as powerful voices, whose works present unique perspectives on migration, national and transnational consciousness, conditions of African womanhood and power imbalances, challenging dominant narratives that undermine the common well-being. 
This seminar explores the literary contributions of Chika Unigwe and NoViolet Bulawayo who are among the most prominent female African authors in the twenty-first century and have attracted critical attention at both regional and international levels. Through a close reading of On Black Sisters’ Street (2009) and We Need New Names (2013) we will critically engage with questions of power pertaining to matters of audience, voice, and agency. In doing so, we will specifically discuss issues of identity, language and representation, and new visions of humanity tendered in African women´s writing.