One of the things that’s so important to us during #ReadingAfricaWeek is to stress that African literature isn’t one thing. There are different genres, styles, plots, voices, just like in any other place’s literature. But literature, at least for the time being, is still coming from Earth. And here on Earth, all of us know that some voices and some stories are heard more often than others. It’s why we were so excited to privilege women’s voices in our closing panel, and why we’re doing this post. When #ReadingAfrica, and trying to avoid the trap of the single narrative, make sure to add in queer voices, too. Here are a few places to start.
Every year during Pride Month, Words Without Borders releases The Queer Issue featuring writing that shows the “multiplicity of Queer experiences and perspectives.” Some that are particularly of interest during Reading Africa Week:
from “Edgard’s Lessons” Poetry by Jean Sénac, Translated from French by Douglas Basford
“The Avenging Whip” Fiction by Max Lobe, Translated from French by Ros Schwartz
“The Indecency Club“ Fiction by Trifonia Melibea Obono, Translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel
“In the Shadows” Fiction by Olivia M. Coetzee, Translated from Kaaps by the author.
And though not an African writer, this essay by B.J. Epstein—Queerying Translation— highlights the importance of visibility for both queer writers and translators. “It’s time for LGBTQ texts to be translated and for those translations to be analyzed, and it’s time for translators to consider what it might mean to translate LGBTQ texts and authors, and whether there are, or should be, particularly queer methods of translation.”
Akwaeke Emezi has been getting glowing review after glowing review since the release of their novel Freshwater. In this interview with NPR for Pride Month, Emezi recommends some books to add to your Pride Month (or anytime) reading. Also recommended is their gorgeous 2018 essay from The Cut: “Even when it meant stepping out of one reality to be swallowed by another, I kept choosing to move toward myself.”
The Lambda Awards are an annual award “reflecting the wide spectrum of LGBTQ books, and from the very first year they have made the statement that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans stories are part of the literature of the nation.” Some Lambda Award winning/nominated books to add to your #ReadingAfrica TBR list:
The Black Trans Prayer Book by The Silence of the Wilting Skin Pet
South Africa and the Dream of Love to Come by Brenna M. Munro
Queer Africa Vols 1 and 2 by
