Transafrica

From a “post-queer” perspective, this interdisciplinary collection makes an invaluable contribution to LGBTQI African studies through a wide variety of thematic and theoretical approaches. Offering broad coverage of the continent and its languages, its chapters work through the multiple meanings contained in and promised the Trans in its title. * Jarrod Hayes, Monash University, Australia *
Let us welcome this newest stake into the heart of that zombie idea, “homosexuality is un-African.” Pioneers of the study of literary representations of same-sex desire in Africa, Dunton and Zabus have brought together an always fascinating and sometimes fun collection of essays focused primarily on lexical cultures around the continent. How do Africans express sexual nuance or dissidence, or adapt meanings to French and English terms, in Arabic, Somali, Malagasy and other indigenous languages? From critical assessments of the proliferation of queer(ish) characters in literature, film and poetry by African creators, to close case studies of the cultural production of meanings, this is a wide-ranging and powerful intervention. And dire as the sexual rights situation may sometimes seem in much of Africa and indeed around this currently oft-demented world, the gist of the book and the works it considers is positive, verging on optimistic. * Marc Epprecht, Queen's University, Canada *
This original and agenda-setting anthology, assembled by two leading scholars of the literary and cultural representations of gender identity and sexual orientation in and of the African continent, showcases new and established voices in the field. While no single anthology could be exhaustive, this one provides fresh insights into what’s happening now and charts new courses for the future. * Neville Hoad, University of Texas at Austin, USA *