The ‘Literature and South Asian Communities of East Africa’ conference was co-sponsored by the Graduate Studies Department of The Institute of Ismaili Studies in conjunction with The Arts and Humanities Research Board Centre for Asian and African Literatures’ Centre of South Asian Studies. The conference which addressed the literature of and about the South Asian communities of East Africa, concentrated on the following questions:
It is anticipated that the proceedings of the seminar will be published at a later date.
Programme
Opening RemarksStephanie Jones AHRB Centre for Asian and African Literatures, SOAS/UCLRachel Dwyer Centre for South Asian Studies, SOAS
‘The Perception of the Asian in Swahili Literature’ Farouk TopanSOAS
‘The Literary Community of Transition: East Africa 1961-1972’Stephanie JonesAHRB Centre for Asian and African Literatures, SOAS/UCL
‘Dangerous Memories: Ugandan Asians and their Stories’Yasmin Allibhai-BrownWriter, journalist, broadcaster
‘Memory or Nostalgia? The Crisis of Identity in M. G. Vassanji’s The Gunny Sack and Amriika’Nisha JonesUniversity of Sussex
‘Discourses of Difference in M. G. Vassanji’s The Book of Secrets’Martin GeneschTrier University
‘Journey to the West: The Creation of an Epic for the Stage’Jatinder VermaTara Arts
Final Discussion
Keynote ReadingAbdulrazak Gurnah Lecturer in English, University of Canterbury and author
Chaired by Faisal Devji.