Novuyo Rosa Tshuma – House of Stone

WRITING BEYOND HISTORY

Colonialism framed Africa as Europe’s antithesis in a binary system that glorified Europe as a synonym for civilisation, advancement and progress. Africa on the other hand was conceived as a continent without history and became a metaphor for everything dark and negative. This imposition of stereotypes and negativity confronts writers with critical choices concerning the Africa they want to convey, when disaster, problems and conflict might be more familiar and attractive to (Euro-American) reading audiences and publishers than the reclaiming and reconstruction of Africa’s stolen histories. To what extent and in what way do writers engage with the continent’s colonial heritage?

Panelists:

Novuyo Rosa Tshuma [USA/Zimbabwe]

Ayesha Harruna Attah [Ghana/Senegal]

Thando Mgqolozana [South Africa]

Moderation: Clementine Burnley