Author Archives: Africa Writes

Africa Writes 2016: Programme

  Africa Writes 2016 Programme .pdf Africa Writes is the Royal African Society’s annual literature festival. Celebrating its 5th year, Africa Writes 2016 will bring together over 50 authors, poets, publishers and experts for a stimulating and exciting three days! Every…

Caine Prize 2016: Shortlist announced!

On Monday 4 July 2016, the day after the UK’s biggest African literature festival – Africa Writes, The Caine Prize for African Writing will announce its winner at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, UK. Every year a panel of judges…

The F Word Mini-series: An Introduction

Join us for a series of semi-formal candid conversations on all things ‘feminist.’ In the run up to the annual literature and book festival, Africa Writes 2016, The Royal African Society have invited Henry Brefo and Yovanka Perdigao to discuss…

Saadawi on FGM

‘I had to study medicine to get rid of it. I have to know politics in order to challenge politics’. There’s something quite ironic in Nawal El Saadawi openly challenging the same structures of professionalism she was educated by. And…

…something wrong in being a girl…

When you hear the name Nawal El Saadawi, what springs to mind: Activist, writer, feminist, trouble-maker? Saadawi is a renowned Egyptian feminist writer who has written a large selection of books that focus on women in Islam. As a qualified…

Africa Writes 2016: Call for Volunteers

The Royal African Society is looking for volunteers with a passion for all things African to help run Africa Writes, which returns for its fifth year running! Africa Writes is an annual festival organised by the Royal African Society, which…

The Young Soninke: A Brief History on African Immigration.

Migration has played a significant role in African’s history. At first the departures were not aimed at Europe but occurred internally, from state to state. The main destinations for West Africans were Ivory Coast and the Democratic Republic of Congo,…

Africa Writes 2016: Call for Papers

Africa Writes invites abstract submissions from PhD students, early career scholars and independent researchers that open up ideas of, and approaches to, ‘African literatures’. Academic discourse on African literatures is characterised by a continuous process of debate, reassessment of theories…

Sex, Prince, and Rock & Roll

The sudden death of the gender-queer music icon Prince Rogers Nelson at his home in Paisley Park Studios has shocked the world. As much controversy hovers over his family and the causes of his death, Prince’s music currently populates a…

City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp

This year, we are looking forward to holding our first pre-festival event – looking at stories of displacement and survival. Join us at SOAS on 27 April to discuss the book City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest…