Literary Cross-dressing & the Diaspora
Sunday 13 July, 13:45 – 14:45
BL Conference Centre, FREE

Panel discussion with poets, performers, playwrights and screenwriters Inua Ellams, Nick Makoha, Ade Solanke and Bola Agbaje. Moderated by Sheila Ruiz, programme manager of The Royal African Society.

Literature has been traditionally categorised into one of three main genres – prose, poetry or drama. However, in today’s post-modern world, writers often borrow qualities from different forms to create their own unique style. In this session, we explore work of African Diaspora writers who move between the worlds of poetry, drama and fiction, crossing over different literary genres and even delving into other art forms. How do they define their literature and what inspires them? What is their creative process and how do they break down the barriers between the different literary genres? To what extent does the oral tradition, which permeates so many African cultures, influence their work? And what boundaries will they be crossing next?

Picture credit: Franklyn Rodgers