Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: french and african francophone literatureFrench and African Francophone Literature

Scope of Research: The presence and participation of Anglophone writers and artists from Africa in Parisian cultural journals with an African focus (1957-1991)

This research project centres on the contribution Parisian literary reviews and journals with an African focus made to literary, cultural and political discourse and movements within this period. These exchanges reveal the importance given to several figures, including, on the one hand, figures from Anglophone West Africa, such as Chinua Achebé, Wolé Soyinka, Femi Osofisan, Adiyi Martin-Bestman, Niyi Osundare, Ada Ugah, Abiola Irele, Femi Ojo-Ade. On the other hand, the exchanges highlight, in a non-exhaustive way, various figures from Anglophone Southern Africa such as André Brink, Dennis Brutus, J.M. Coetzee, Peter Abrahams, Nadine Gordimer, Jan Rabie, Elsa Joubert, Karel Schoeman, Alan Paton and Breyten Breytenbach, and, to a lesser extent, remarkable literary figures from the past who explored the power of literary expression through local languages, such as Eugène Marais in Afrikaans and the Malagasy poet Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo. Particular emphasis will be placed on this second group of writers, not least because these English and Afrikaans-speaking South African writers have – in spite of their significant impact in the region – not enjoyed the same exposure in French academic research as their English-speaking West African counterparts.

 

The principal aim is to identify and analyse the place and presence of African Anglophone and Afrikaans writers and artists within Parisian journals of the period and to see to what extent these journals contributed to bridging the colonial linguistic divide on the continent.

 

The successful candidate will be expected to publish the result of the research as a monograph in addition to at least one article in a high-impact accredited journal.  The candidate will also be expected to undertake limited teaching duties in the French Section of the Department of Modern Foreign Languages and to mentor any possible post-graduate students who are interested in working in a related field of research.

 

The fellowship is available for one year, renewable for a second year subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding.

Host: Professor Catherine du Toit, Chair, Department of Modern Foreign Languages

Requirements: 

·       PhD in French with specific reference to the study of Parisian cultural journals with a focus on Africa (must have graduated within the last five years) 

·       A proven publication record and a demonstrated capacity to conduct independent research (minimum one or two relevant published article(s) or book chapters)

·       Familiarity with research and teaching in French in a non-Francophone environment.

 

Recommendations:

·         The ability to relate on a collegial academic level with colleagues working in other languages within our department (German, Chinese…)

 

Please note that postdoctoral fellows are not appointed as employees and their fellowships are awarded tax free. They are therefore not eligible for employee benefits.  

 

Commencement of duties: 1 February 2022

 

Closing date: 22 November 2021

 

Application process: Send a letter of application, accompanied by a comprehensive curriculum vitae, including list of publications, link to the candidate’s PhD thesis, and the names and contact details of two referees, to Prof. Catherine du Toit (cdt@sun.ac.za).