African autobiography has no doubt developed over the decades as a distinct literary tradition that deals in and with personal, communal as well as national histories and aspirations, cultural and religious values among other issues. As a genre of African literature, it has usually been studied as an appendage to other genres, such that while prose, poetry, and drama have books, journal issues, and conferences dedicated to them, African autobiography has to its credit mainly regional or gender-based critical works. So far, in the history of the genre, James Olney’s Tell me Africa (1973) and the special issue of Research in African Literatures (1997) edited by Patricia Geesey are two of the few boldest evidences of a continental critical inquiry into it. This book intends to provide a collection of essays which cover most aspects of African autobiography.
We seek critical essays that focus on areas which include (but not limited to):
Theories of African autobiography
Sub-genres such as memoir, diary, curriculum vitae, medical autobiographical writing
African autobiography and the electronic media
African autobiography and politics
Religion and African autobiography
Gender and African autobiography
We encourage chapter contributions that cross genres and also those that engage contemporary issues.
Deadline for submission is 31 December 2011.
Minimum of 5,000 words and maximum of 8,000 words, Times new Roman, double spaced
firstname.lastname@example.org or email@example.com
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