Edited by Luise White (NHC Fellow, 1993–94; 2016–17), Stephen Miescher, and David William Cohen Until the advent of African independence, Africans were not considered fitting subjects for historical research and their words, voices, and experiences were largely absent from the continent's history. In thirteen lively and provocative essays focusing on all areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, … Continued
By Marlene L. Daut (NHC Fellow, 2016–17) Focusing on the influential life and works of the Haitian political writer and statesman, Baron de Vastey (1781-1820), in this book Marlene L. Daut examines the legacy of Vastey’s extensive writings as a form of what she calls black Atlantic humanism, a discourse devoted to attacking the enlightenment … Continued
Edited by Sucheta Mazumdar (NHC Fellow, 2007–08), Vasant Kaiwar, and Thierry Labica This book uses a historical and theoretical focus to examine the key of issues of the Enlightenment, Orientalism, concepts of identity and difference, and the contours of different modernities in relation to both local and global shaping forces, including the spread of capitalism. … Continued
By Mongo BetiTranslated by Richard Bjornson (NHC Fellow, 1982–83) This is a sequel to Mongo Beti's Remember Ruben. It continues the story of the revolutionary partisan Mor-Zamba after the defeat of the Rubenists. The narrative argues that the mere granting of independence does not sweep away the consequences and corruptions that developed under colonialism.
Edited by Harriet Ritvo (Trustee; NHC Fellow, 1989–90; 2002–03) and Jonathan Arac Increasingly in the last decade, macropolitics—a consideration of political transformations at the level of the state—has become a focus for cultural inquiry. From the macropolitical perspective afforded by contemporary postcolonial studies, the essays in this collection explore the relationship between politics and culture … Continued
Edited by David Gilmartin (NHC Fellow, 2001–02; 2017–18), Pamela Price, and Arild Engelsen Ruud This book brings ethnographies of everyday power and ritual into dialogue with intellectual studies of theology and political theory. It underscores the importance of academic collaboration between scholars of religion, anthropology, and history in uncovering the structures of thinking and action … Continued
By Sandya Hewamanne (NHC Fellow, 2011–12) In Sri Lanka, the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) employs thousands of unmarried rural women, and their migration has aroused deep anxieties over female morality and ideal conduct. This book focuses on the global factory workers based in the FTZ, and analyzes intersections of gender, class and sexuality by looking … Continued
By René PhilombeTranslated by Richard Bjornson (NHC Fellow, 1982–83) This collection contains affectionate and witty pieces that offer a socially critical and humanistic portrait of daily life in the cities and small towns of West Africa.
By Richard Bjornson (NHC Fellow, 1982–83) Independence generated the promise of a better future for the ethnically diverse populations of African countries, but during the past thirty years economic and political crises have called into question the legitimacy of speaking about nationhood in Africa. Richard Bjornson argues here that a national consciousness can indeed be … Continued
By Sanjay Krishnan (NHC Fellow, 2012–13) The author of more than thirty books of fiction and nonfiction and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, V. S. Naipaul (1932–2018) is one of the most acclaimed authors of the twentieth century. He is also one of the most controversial. Before settling in England, Naipaul grew up … Continued