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Deadline: 15 June 2011
Contact: vdwaltb@unisa.ac.za

The Traveling of Stories: Children’s Literature and Reading in and of Africa

Call for Papers

1st Biennial IBBY Africa Conference

21-23 September 2011

Venue: Pigg’s Peak Hotel, Swaziland

Organised by the Children’s Literature Research Unit, University of South Africa on behalf of the IBBY Branches of Africa.

Abstracts of not more than 250 words that address particular issues regarding reading and children’s literature related to Africa and the developing world are welcomed.

The following topics serve as suggestions:

1. The travelling of stories across borders and cultures
2. Children’s literature in translation
3. Folktales and imagination
4. Writing in indigenous/colonial/minority languages
5. Colonialism and post-colonialism in children’s literature
6. Traditional folktales and the modern tale
7. Cultural relevance of children’s books
8. The distinction between African children’s and adult books
9. Oral narratives and literary research
10. Converting oral literature into written literature
11. Literature for didactic purposes
12. The African diaspora and children’s literature
13. Reading across cultures
14. Library services for children
15. Reading in the information age
16. Comparative research in children’s literature and reading
17. Depicting reality in children’s books
18. Reading preferences of African children
19. Teaching children’s literature
20. Storytelling for young people
21. Publishing for children in the 2rd World

Mail abstracts and direct enquiries to:

Prof Thomas van der Walt, CLRU, Department of Information Science, University of
South Africa, PO Box 392, 0003 Pretoria, South Africa

Fax: +27 12 4293792

e-mail: vdwaltb@unisa.ac.za

Dates: 3 March 2011 (announcement of regional winners), May 2011 (announcement of overall winners)

The Commonwealth Writers' Prize, internationally recognised for its role in celebrating ground-breaking works from both new and established writers, has today revealed the literary icons of tomorrow in the South East Asia and Pacific regional shortlist for the 2011 Prize.

The Commonwealth Writers' Prize, supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation and now in its 25th year, has selected both household names and other emerging stars for the shortlist for Best Book and Best First Book awards. The winners from Africa will go on to compete against writers from across the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Writers' Prize's final programme to be held at Sydney Writers' Festival from 16-22 May.

Africa Best Book:

• The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)
• Men of the South by Zukiswa Wanner (South Africa)
• The Unseen Leopard by Bridget Pitt (South Africa)
• Oil on Water by Helon Habila (Nigeria)
• Blood at Bay by Sue Rabie (South Africa)
• Banquet at Brabazan by Patricia Schonstein (South Africa)

• Happiness is a Four Letter Word by Cynthia Jele (South Africa)
• Bitter Leaf by Chioma Okereke (Nigeria)
• The Fossil Artist by Graeme Friedman (South Africa)
• Colour Blind by Uzoma Uponi (Nigeria)
• Voice of America by E. C. Osondu (Nigeria)
• Wall of Days by Alastair Bruce (South Africa)

The regional winners of the Best Book and Best First Book prizes will be announced on the 3rd March, with the final programme commencing on the 16th May at Sydney Writers' Festival in Australia. This will bring together the finalists from the four different regions of the Commonwealth, and the two overall winners will be announced on the 21st May.

Commonwealth Foundation Director, Dr. Mark Collins, said:

"The Commonwealth Writers' Prize aims to reward the best of Commonwealth fiction written in English and underlines our commitment to promoting cultural exchange and diversity. This year the range of subjects, the breadth of genres and the diversity of writers will bring the very best of Commonwealth literature to new audiences. The support of the Macquarie Group Foundation has seen the Prize gain in international standing and expand its reach. This year we're delighted to be holding our final award programme in Sydney, the home of Macquarie, at Sydney Writers' Festival."

David Clarke, Chairman of the Macquarie Group Foundation, the main supporter of the Prize, added:

"The Macquarie Group Foundation's continuing support of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in its 25th year is the cornerstone of Macquarie's arts philanthropy. The Prize plays a valuable role in recognising and rewarding diverse literary talents and, in so doing, connects global communities."

Dates: 14 - 19 March 2011

Twenty-one prominent writers from a dozen different countries, will converge on Durban for a thought-provoking week of literary dialogue and exchange of ideas at the Time of the Writer international writers festival from 14 to 19 March. Hosted by the Centre for Creative Arts (University of Kwa-Zulu Natal) and with principal funding from the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, this 14th edition of the festival, presents a packed programme of both day and evening activities. 'Freedom of Expression' will feature as an underlying thread within the festival and audiences can expect to hear the opinions of leading writers on creative processes which inform their writing as well as on the enabling or constraining forces of political, social and environmental contexts within which they write.

The festival's Opening Night Keynote Address will be delivered by the recently retired Constitutional Court judge, esteemed writer and cultural activist, Justice Albie Sachs. The award-winning author of a number of books, including Soft Vengeance of a Freedom Fighter and Justice in South Africa, Sachs was instrumental in the process of writing the constitution of South Africa and is therefore eminently qualified to speak on the festival theme of Freedom of Expression.

Evening Activities

Following the opening night at which all writers present brief introductions, double-bill readings and panel discussions will take place nightly at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, preceded by book launches and live music.

Tuesday 15 March will feature British-born American Raj Patel food activist and author of internationally-acclaimed Stuffed and Starved: The Hidden Battle for the World Food System, and his most recent offering, The Value of Nothing. Patel has been active in South African affairs and was a visiting scholar at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2009. Joining him in a discussion entitled Ugly/ Beautiful, Stuffed and Starved will be South African leading cultural commentator and author of the award-winning Ugly/Beautiful: African and Diaspora Aesthetics, Sarah Nuttall, with her reflections on contemporary society.

Also shining a spotlight on contemporary South Africa on the same night is author and journalist Lauren Beukes, whose novel Zoo City, has been described as "intelligent and witty urban writing for the 21st century." Popular Durban-based author of The Lotus People (which won the 2001 Sanlam Literary Award for an unpublished novel), Aziz Hassim, joins Beukes in a discussion entitled Life in the Inner City.

Leading intellectual and award-winning writer Njabulo Ndebele, author of 'Fools' and other Stories, The Cry of Winnie Mandela and others, will, together with provocative post-colonial thinker and academic Achille Mbembe, tackle the heady topic of A Promise Delivered or a Nation Betrayed: Literature as South Africa’s Conscience. Cameroon- born Mbembe is a profound voice in contesting clichéd Western perspectives of Africa.

Ndebele and Mbembe appear on Wednesday 16 March, the same evening that a foregrounding of African culture will take place in the presentations by Petina Gappah (Zimbabwe) and Ellen Banda-Aaku (Zambia). Gappah’s debut collection of heartfelt short stories, An Elegy for Easterly poignantly describe the strained everyday living of Zimbabwe's people, and this award-winning book has already been translated into six languages. Primarily a children’s writer, Ellen Banda-Aaku’s first novel, Patchwork - an emotive tale of a young girl's journey towards coming to terms with her identity - won the 2010 Penguin Prize for African writing.

French writer Marie Darrieussecq’s best selling debut novel Truismes (Pig Tales) - a postmodern tale about the gradual transformation of a woman into a sow - explores the human state in the most bizarre and fantastical of ways. Matching her for a session titled 'Painting the Psyche' on Thursday 17 March is award-winning artist Ondjaki from Angola, whose evocative work as a poet, documentarian, prose-writer and actor posits him a versatile talent.

Writing from the currently tumultuous context of Egypt, Sahar El Mougy, in a feminist perspective, articulates the conflict between the values of the west and traditional gender roles in the Middle East. In a hot topic session (Thursday), El Mougy will pair up with Durban-born Azad Essa in a discussion entitled Writing Revolution to unpack the role of writers in the scenarios unfolding across the region. Currently working for Al-Jazeera in Qatar, Essa’s provocative 2010 book Zuma's Bastard, offers a fresh perspective around South African race politics and religion.

Two highly accomplished immigrants who have made their mark on the UK literary scene and world-wide, will take to the stage on Friday 18th March. Originally from the Caribbean island of St.Kitts and author of numerous award-winning books, Caryl Phillips, whose extensive writing oeuvre ranges from non-fiction and fiction to theatre, radio and television documentaries teams up with prolific Nigerian novelist and playwright, Biyi Bandele, in unpacking Roots and Routes.

Also on 18 March the genre of the 'crime thrillers' brings together Sifiso Mzobe and Diale Tlholwe, in a panel titled Muti Noir. Exploring the life of a young car hijacker in KwaMashu, Mzobe's Young Blood offers a glimpse into the emotional landscape of someone deemed by society, a 'criminal'. Recipient of the 2010 South African Literary Award and described by South African established thriller-writer, Deon Meyer as "superb", Tlholwe's Ancient Rites, within the frame of a detective story, navigates the contrasting worlds of the real and the spirit; the urban and the rural.

Prolific Senegalese writer Boubacar Boris Diop and German writer and filmmaker Torsten Schulz will discuss The Pen as a Weapon against War on the closing night of the Time of the Writer. Diop’s work of fiction, Murambi, the Book of Bones, deals powerfully with the issue of memory around the Rwandan genocide, while Schulz’s novel Boxhagener Square, which won numerous awards and was made into a film, is set in the context of post-war Germany.

Chris van Wyk and Etienne van Heerden will culminate this year’s festival with a discussion on Re-Inventing Memory Through Literature. Van Wyk has an extraordinary knack for telling heartwarming stories of often comical personal experiences against the backdrop of critical periods in South African history. Van Heerden, with his work published in over sixty anthologies in South Africa and overseas, together with an acclaimed string of novels, poetry and essays, is one of the huge icons within Afrikaans literature.

Tickets are R25 for the evening sessions, R10 for students on presentation of a student card. Tickets can be booked through Computicket Tel: 083 915 8000 or 011 340 8000, or purchased at the Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre from 18h30.

Day Activities

A broad range of day activities in the form of free seminars, workshops, including a full-day Publishing Forum on 17 March, book launches, school visits, and a prison writing programme, take place to promote a culture of reading, writing and creative expression and broaden access to the participating writers.

Find the full programme of activities and paticipant biographies on our website www.cca.ukzn.ac.za or contact the Centre for Creative Arts for more information on 031 260 2506/1816.

The 14th Time of the Writer festival is supported by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund (principal funder), the Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Durban, the French Institute of South Africa, Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation (HIVOS), National Arts Council, Goethe-Institut of South Africa, Adams Campus Books, Elizabeth Sneddon Theatre and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Here are 25 writing contests, careers, calls for submissions, and other opportunities for African writers with submissions or applications due on the 31st of March, 2011:

• Call for African American Poets: Enter the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award -03/31/2011

• Call for Papers: Co-operative Development in Africa: Prospects and Challenges -03/31/2011

  Journalists of Color Invited to Apply for The 2011 Society for Features Journalism Diversity Fellowship (Arizona) -03/31/2011

• The SA Writers' College 2011 Annual Short Story Award For Emerging Writers in South Africa -03/31/2011

• Call for Books: The 2011 Nigerian Studies Association Book Award -03/31/2011

• Call for Submissions: Anthology of Middle Eastern/ Muslim Short Fiction -03/31/2011

• Apply for the Speculative Literature Foundation Older Writers Grant -03/31/2011

• Job Opening: Humanities Editor for Jomo Kenyatta Foundation (Kenya) -03/31/2011

• Call for Submissions: January 25 (Revolution) Anthology -03/31/2011

• 2011 BN Poetry Award for Ugandan Women -03/31/2011

• Call for Submissions - Sentinel Nigeria: Online Magazine of Contemporary Nigerian Writing -03/31/2011

• World Petroleum Congress Prize for Young Authors -03/31/2011

• The R25,000 EU Literary Award 2011 for Unpublished Work of Fiction (South Africa) -03/31/2011

• Third Annual South African Wine Writers Award -03/31/2011

• Apply for The Foreign Correspondents’ Scholarship Programme in Finland (eligible African countries: Egypt, South Africa, Tunisia) -03/31/2011

• Anthony Sampson Foundation Award for a Writing/ Reporting Project Relevant to South Africa -03/31/2011

• Forum of Women of the Mediterranean Short Story Competition -03/31/2011
  


• Win a Publication Contract: Whispers Publishing 2011 Explore Our World Fiction Contest (length: 15,000-30,000) -03/31/2011

• Siemens Africa Profile Awards for Excellence in Science and Technology Journalism -03/31/2011
  


• Excellence in Journalism Awards - Tanzania Officially Launched -03/31/2011

• The $1,300 Mahdiya/ Aga Khan Museum International Essay Writing Contest -03/31/2011

• Job Opening: Copy/ Sub Editor for Film Event Publishing (South Africa) -03/31/2011

• Call for Entries: 2011 Association of Nigerian Authors Literary Prizes -03/31/2011
  


• Call for Entries: Nigeria Prize for Literature 2011 -03/31/2011

• The Beverly Nambozo Poetry Award 2011 (Uganda) Now Open for Submissions -03/31/2011
  

Deadline: 1 December 2010

African Humanities Program
in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda
2010-2011

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS

Eligibility criteria
• The proposed project must be in the humanities.
• It must propose a written scholarly product such as a dissertation or a monograph.
• Research and writing under terms of the fellowship award must be undertaken in Africa. AHP fellowships may not be used for travel outside the continent.
• Dissertation applicants must be nationals of a country in sub-Saharan Africa, residing and working in Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, or Uganda, pursuing a doctorate in one of those countries. They must have begun to write the dissertation before applying and must be able to complete the dissertation during the fellowship year. Applicants pursuing doctorates at a university in South Africa are not eligible.
• Postdoctoral applicants must be nationals of a country in sub-Saharan Africa, residing and working in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, or Uganda. At the time of the submission, applicants must have defended the dissertation and must be no more than five years past the date of receiving the Ph.D. degree. Postdoctoral applicants may propose either a combination of research and writing, or writing only.

Fellowship awards
• The stipend for Dissertation-Completion Fellowships is $9,000.
• The stipend for Early Career Postdoctoral Fellowships is $16,000.
• The Residential Allowance is $5,000, and will be paid directly to the selected institute for advanced study hosting the AHP fellowship recipient. A list of residential sites currently available can be downloaded from the ACLS website at www.acls.org/programs/ahp or may be requested from ahp@acls.org . Residencies must be undertaken outside of the country in which the applicant maintains institutional affiliation and must last for a continuous period of not less than two months. No additional support in the form of residential allowance is available to support work at an applicant’s home institution.

Selection criteria
• The intrinsic interest and substantive merit of the work proposed
• The clarity of the intellectual agenda
• The record of achievement of postdoctoral scholars and the promise of Ph.D. candidates
• The contribution the work is likely to make to scholarship in the region and internationally
• The feasibility of the workplan

Preparing the application
All applicants should begin preparation early! Applications must be received by the African Humanities Program at the American Council of Learned Societies in New York no later than December 1, 2010 .

All applications must be typed (no handwriting, please). ACLS encourages the submission of applications via email in either Word (.doc or .docx files) or Acrobat (.pdf files). ACLS cannot application materials submitted in other file formats. Application forms may be downloaded in either Word or Acrobat. Application forms downloaded in Word may be typed on a computer, saved in a Word or Acrobat file and submitted via email attachment to ahp@acls.org . Applicants are asked to observe specifications for font and line-spacing and to maintain the page and space limits represented in the original application form. All applications must be signed and dated, or will be considered incomplete. Applications sent electronically must be named using the following file name format: Surname, Given Name(s).doc/docx/pdf.

Application forms downloaded in Acrobat or received via Air Mail may be printed, then typed on a typewriter and returned to ACLS via Air Mail or courier service. Applicants are asked to send their materials via Air Mail or courier service only if they are unable to do so via email; it is not necessary to send applications both electronically and on paper.

Application Elements
An application form consists of the following numbered elements, which should be submitted in the order specified here and on the application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

I. Applicant information – cover sheet

II. Personal history: education, research, teaching, and service (as applicable )

III. List of applicant’s publications [Maximum one page, 11 pt. type]

IV. Intellectual autobiography [Maximum one page, single spaced, 11 pt. type]
A description of the applicant’s academic career, detailing the ideas and experiences that have shaped and motivated the applicant’s intellectual work and plans for the future. The autobiography should conclude with a separate paragraph answering the question: “What do I see myself doing five years from now?”

V. Application essay [Maximum two pages, single spaced, 11 pt. type]

1. Main Thesis: The main argument or problematic guiding the proposed research and
writing.
2. Body: The research problem in more detail and a justification of the research focus and approach. What is already known about the problem and what more needs to be known?
3. Literature and sources: The proposed topic placed in the context of existing literature and as well as potential new sources. What will be the criteria for determining which sources are relevant? How will the project extend, modify, or challenge existing scholarship?
4. Methods: A detailed description of the methods to be used. How will they be deployed to address the main thesis or argument of the project?
5. Significance: An explanation of the importance of the proposed work to central issues in the discipline, to the African humanities, and to humanities scholarship in general.
6. Workplan: The concluding section of the essay, specifying a plan of work with a timeline for the research and/or writing during the fellowship period . How much has the applicant already accomplished on the project and how much remains to be done? What steps are anticipated during the fellowship period? What is the expected result? The workplan must specify the desired start and end dates for the fellowship period, ensuring that they fall within the period of the fellowship and form a period of work no less than 10 months in duration.

Letters of recommendation should arrive with applications at ACLS by the deadline, December 1, 2010. Applicants should send the forms to recommenders early, so that there is enough time to complete them. While applicants are responsible for making sure that the completed application has two appropriate recommendations, they must not delay sending all other parts of the application by the deadline, regardless of whether recommenders have sent their materials or not.

(Late letters of recommendation should be forwarded by the applicant to ACLS as soon as possible, in no case more than one month past the deadline.)

Submitting the application
Applicants are asked to follow these instructions carefully. Failure to do so may render an application late, incomplete, or otherwise ineligible for inclusion in the fellowship competition.

1. Applications may be submitted electronically (via email attachment) or on paper (via Air Mail or courier service) to the AHP/ACLS office in New York.

2. ACLS can accept only files sent in Word (.doc or .docx) or Acrobat (.pdf) formats. No other file formats are acceptable. Electronic submission is encouraged, with letters of recommendation and the applicant’s signature scanned as .pdf files. Electronic applications must be saved using a file name in the following format: Surname, Given Name(s).doc/docx/pdf.

3. Applications submitted electronically should be sent to ahp@acls.org, with all application materials included as attachments to one single email. If the files are too large to send in one email, applicants must create a series of smaller numbered files following the same file name format and send them in separate emails, making sure to note the total number of files transmitted.

The subject line of the email should include the applicant’s surname and the phrase “AHP application.” The body of the email should indicate the number of files attached. Application materials should be submitted only once, unless ACLS requests that and applicant resubmit. “Updated” or “revised” versions of the application will not be accepted once an application has been submitted.

4. Applications sent by Air Mail or courier service should be addressed to:

African Humanities Program
American Council of Learned Societies
633 Third Avenue, 8th floor
New York, NY 10017-6795, USA

5. IMPORTANT: Whether an application is submitted electronically or on paper, all applicants must send a separate email to ahp@acls.org requesting confirmation that the application file has been received and can be opened. Those who do not receive a reply within ten days confirming receipt should resend the confirmation request. Applicants should not resubmit application materials unless requested to do so.

Deadline: 30 June 2011

Now in its sixth year of existence, the South African Literary Awards will open for the 2011 Call for Submissions on the 8th April and close on the 30th June 2011. Both fiction and non-fiction writers are invited to submit their work for these prestigious accolades. SALA has become one of the major literary awards in South Africa, having honoured over 90 South African authors. The recipients include Prof. Keorapetse Kgositsile, who was crowned the National Poet Laureate, succeeding the late Professor Mazisi Kunene. Others are Miriam Tlali, Professor Lewis Nkosi, Nontando Helen Jabavu, Phyllis Naidoo, Andre Brink, Chris van Wyk, Modikwe Dikobe, Maureen Isaacson, Victor Dlamini, Dr. Wally Serote and many more.

Founded by the wRite Associates, in partnership with the national Department of Arts and Culture, supported by the National Arts Council, Sowetan Aggrey-Klaaste Nation Building Projects, The SABC and Nutrend Publishers, the main aim of the South African Literary Awards is to celebrate literary excellence in the depiction and sharing of South Africa’s histories, value systems, philosophies and arts as inscribed and preserved in all the languages of South Africa, particularly the official languages. The Awards aim to become the most prestigious and respected literary accolades in South African literature.

Since its inception in 2005, these literary awards have grown in leaps and bounds. To date, the awards boast 8 categories:

1. National Poet Laureate Prize

2. Lifetime Achievement Literary Award

3. Posthumous Literary Award

4. Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award (for writing in African Languages in the RSA)

5. k. Sello Duiker Memorial Award

6. Literary Translators Award

7. Literary Journalism Award

8. First-time Published Author Award

9. Poetry Award

10. Chairperson’s Award

“We are very excited about the extension of the Awards criteria to include non-fiction work. Selections are made from published authors whose primary input is in imaginative writing - fiction as well as creative non-fiction, i.e. biographies/ autobiographies, letters, speeches and memoirs. This will go a long way in acknowledging and honouring writers in the non-fiction space who were hitherto not accommodated in SALA”, said Morakabe Raks Seakhoa, the SALA Project Director and Managing Director of the wRite associates.

Submission can be posted to PO Box 4488, Randburg, 2125 or delivered at 74 Mimosa Road, Randpark Ridge, 2165.

Download 2011 nomination form >>

Contact Information:

For inquiries: info@sala.org.za, or call 011 791 3585 or 011 791 4102

For submissions: PO Box 4488, Randburg, 2125; or delivered at 74 Mimosa Road, Randpark Ridge, 2165

Website: http://www.sala.org.za/

Deadline: 19 June 2011

King Pie has today announced the launch of the ‘Amazwi Ethu South African Tales’ Literature Talent Search. The Campaign calls for South African youth of all ages to write and submit their favourite South African stories for competition entry. Top stories will be compiled and published by Penguin Books.

‘Amazwi Ethu South African Tales’ is an initiative to fuel interest in literacy amongst the youth, and is proudly partnered by Heart 104.9FM in the Cape and Kaya FM in Gauteng. The campaign will roll out on a national level from the 16th April and will call for entries until the 19th June 2011.

“South Africa is a culturally rich and diverse country, and the campaign aims to tap into the heritage of storytelling” notes Nicholas Kühne, Marketing Manager of King Pie. “A competition such as this not only allows a record of our culturally diverse stories, but also to invest in individuals who have the talent but not necessarily the means to develop further”.

“Kaya FM is proud to support the Amazwi Ethu initiative and continues to espouse the importance of education as well as the value of understanding one's cultural heritage and rooting. The revival and preservation of undocumented or untold South African stories is important in understanding more about ourselves, our respective histories and cultural perspectives. It is also essential in inspiring a culture of reading and writing with children of all ages.” Adds Mark Mdlela, Marketing and Sales Manager Kaya FM.

As interest literature is a key area amongst youth, as is the preservation of cultural roots through literature, the Campaign holds core importance for all involved partners. Story telling is inherently part of the South African community heritage, and this campaign aims to records a current generation’s story.

Youth are encouraged to submit short stories, or poems from 50 words up to 800 words, via entry boxes at King Pie or via email at king.pie@ydx.co.za. These stories/poems should be their favourite South African tales, as narrated by themselves. The competition is open to ages 12 and up and entries will be accepted in all languages. Various prizes are up for grabs for laptops, cash for schools and tertiary institutions and other spot prizes.

Help and further information can be found via the dedicated helpline number: +27118068061 or on the King Pie Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/kingpiebrand

The panel of Judges will comprise a celebrity judge, Radio Station representatives, King Pie and penguin books with final Judging of all submitted stories taking place over the end of June and early July 2011. Winners will be announced at via the telephone and at an event.

The published book with will be available in all King Pie stores, from October 2011.

Rules (click to enlarge):

Form (click to enlarge:

Contact Information:

For inquiries: king.pie@ydx.co.za

For submissions: king.pie@ydx.co.za

Website: http://www.kingpie.co.za/

Deadline: 1 June 2011

The Africa Centre, together with artist in residency programmes in Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Finland, Netherlands, Turkey and the United States of America have partnered to launch a new Artist in Residency Programme (AIR). The programme has been conceived to support artists from Africa who are provocative, innovative, relevant and highly engaged with both social issues and their art forms.

AIR manifests through existing artist-in-residency partnerships around the world that are prepared to select an artist from a short list provided by the Africa Centre, created from a Continental search, for one of their 2011 or 2012 residencies. The costs of the residency and roundtrip airfare are included in each residency award made as part of this programme.

Each of the seven residencies on offer have different durations, structures and requirements. We are taking applications between 1 April and 1 June 2011. If you have any queries please email robinj@africacentre.net

Please ensure that the Residency you are applying for caters for your means of artistic expression.

• Bundanon Trust – Australia: Professional Artists from all disciplines.
• Sacatar – Brazil: Artists from all disciplines, particularly interested in choreographers and performers.
• Zoma Contemporary Art Centre – Ethiopia: The Architectural Residency: mid-career and established artists with building experience. The other residencies cater for artists across all disciplines and level of experience.
• KulttuuriKauppila – Finland: Professional visual artists focused on environmental issues or sculptors focused on anything.
• Thamgidi Foundation – Netherlands: Artists from all artistic disciplines will be considered.
• Caravansarai – Turkey: Performing Arts, Music, Literature, New Media and Film Making, other disciplines will also be considered.
• 18th Street – United States of America: Visual and Performing Artists - must have at least 5 years of exhibition and/or professional experience (no students).

1. Online Application Form: Click here to apply online
2. E-mail Application: If you would rather use e-mail, download the application form and then send your application directly to our project manager Robin at robinj@africacentre.net. Please do not send attachments larger than 5MB. Please be sure to add your full name and contact details in the email message field.

If your attachment is larger than 5MB, you can upload it using www.yousendit.com. This is a free service that will allow you to upload your file directly to us. To upload a file, fill in the fields under the green text, "Send a File". Please be sure to add your full name and contact details in the YouSendIt message field. The email address for delivery is: robinj@africacentre.net
3. Submitting via Post: If you cannot use any of the above methods, you are always welcome to post your application directly to us. Click here to download the application form. Be sure to include an e-mail address and phone number where we can contact you.

Postal Address:

THE PROJECT MANAGER:ARTIST IN RESIDENCY PROGRAMME
C/O THE AFRICA CENTRE, 1ST FLOOR, 44 LONG STREET
CAPE TOWN, 8000, SOUTH AFRICA

AIR APPLICATION DEADLINE: 1 June 2011

Shortlist and Award Process

The Africa Centre will select three candidates for each of the 7 residency awards on offer from the applications received. These shortlisted candidates will be forwarded to our various Residency Partners; it is from these lists that they will select the 7 artists to be granted the Artist in Residency Awards.

The Africa Centre will announce the recipients of the Artist in Residency programme on the 1 July 2011. If you have any questions, please direct them to Robin Jutzen at the email address above or on +27 21 422 0468.

Download application form >>

More information about the participating residency programmes here.

Deadline: 31 May 2011

WHIRLWINDS: Emerging Communities of Sexual Minorities in Africa will be an anthology that will examine the ways that sexual minorities are organizing themselves in new ways to create groups, networks, organizations, and movements across sub-Saharan Africa. By sexual minorities, we understand not only lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex groups but also localized endogenous sexual minorities, such hungochani, gor jigeen, dan daudu, and infinitely many others.

Scholars, writers, and activists are invited to submit abstracts for chapters that will contribute to an upcoming book project entitled WHIRLWINDS: Emerging Communities of Sexual Minorities in Africa, edited by Mark Canavera and Charles Gueboguo.

Editors’ Biographies

MARK CANAVERA is a writer, humanitarian aid worker and activist who works primarily in West Africa. His humanitarian efforts focus on youth empowerment and child and family welfare in settings impacted by conflict such as former child soldier reintegration in northern Uganda, small arms control in Senegal, girls education promotion in Burkina Faso, and child welfare system reform in Côte d’Ivoire and Niger. Mark was a founding editor of the Harvard Africa Policy Journal and served on the editorial staff of the Harvard Journal of African American Public Policy. He writes features and op-ed pieces on African affairs and writes for The Huffington Post, America’s most widely read online newspaper. He received Harvard University’s prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Award for Public Service in 2008 and the Best Feature Writing in 1996 from the South Carolina Press Association.

CHARLES GUEBOGUO is an African scholar and author whose has developed pioneering research around sexual identity in French-speaking West Africa. His first book, La Question homosexuelle en Afrique: le cas du Cameroun (The Issue of Homosexuality in Africa: The Case of Cameroon), published in 2006, was the first French-language book-length study of African homosexuality and the first of its kind published by an African scholar. It was followed in 2009 by Sida et homosexualité(s) en Afrique: Analyse des communications de prévention (AIDS and African homosexualities: An analysis of preventive communication strategies), a critical reflection on the lack of appropriate HIV-prevention communication strategies for sexual minorities. He recently co-edited a special edition of the Canadian Journal of African Studies, which presented cutting-edge research and perspectives on sexualities in Africa. He was the recipient of the 2007 Fraser Taylor Award of the Canadian Association of African Studies and the 2009 International Resource Network Africa Simon Nkoli Award in recognition of outstanding contributions in the study of sexuality in Africa.

Overview

WHIRLWINDS: Emerging Communities of Sexual Minorities in Africa will be an anthology that will examine the ways that sexual minorities are organizing themselves in new ways to create groups, networks, organizations, and movements across sub-Saharan Africa. By sexual minorities, we understand not only lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex groups but also localized endogenous sexual minorities, such hungochani, gor jigeen, dan daudu, and infinitely many others.

As the book will be primarily descriptive and analytic in nature, the chapter abstracts submitted should not take the form of personal narratives or descriptions of the activities of a single organization. Rather, they should provide a descriptive, critical analysis of groups, organizations, or movements. While remaining accessible to a wide readership, WHIRLWINDS will be grounded in empirical research and thorough investigation.

The book will bring together chapters about both country-level studies and transversal analyses of major themes or trends across countries.

The editors have identified the following countries as likely chapters in the book and are seeking submissions for chapter abstracts related to them:

* Cameroon
* Democratic Republic of Congo
* Nigeria
* Senegal
* Uganda
* Zimbabwe

Writers submitting chapter abstracts about the above countries should include the following in their abstracts: a basic overview of the way that groups, organizations, communities, and networks are emerging among sexual minorities in the country; a description of the methods that the writer will use to gather the relevant data (e.g., how will she or he write about the given topic with a sufficient and credible evidence base?); and key points of analysis about the current state of communities of sexual minorities in the countries. If writers would like to submit an abstract for a country not currently identified on the above list, notably in the Maghreb, she or he is welcome to do so.

Transversal themes for which the editors are seeking submissions include:

* HIV/AIDS and communities of sexual minorities
* The interplay of Western and African organizations
* The role of women’s groups and organizations in sexual minority movements
* Transgender issues
* Historical precursors to current-day movements, groups, or organizing efforts

Writers submitting thematic chapter abstracts should include the following in the abstracts: a brief presentation of the major issues to be considered in the chapter; a description of the data set (e.g., which countries, movements, or groups will be considered in the analysis) and of the methods that the writer will use to gather the relevant data; and key points of analysis that will be undertaken. If writers would like to submit a transversal theme that is not included in above list, she or he is welcome to do so.
Writer Profiles

Given the book’s analytic nature, the editors are seeking writers with strong skills in research, critical analysis, and argumentation. Writers with journalistic and activist backgrounds are welcome to submit chapter abstracts although they must clearly lay out how they will ground their analyses in rigorous research and investigation and how they will make links to the wider body of literature around sexual minorities in Africa.

Strong preference will be given to writers from African countries and research institutes although writers of any background are welcome to submit. As the book must present a common tone, writers whose abstracts are selected for the book project should expect to work closely with the editors to revise their chapters as the project progresses. At the current time, the editors cannot guarantee any payment for work related to this book.
Instructions for Submission

Chapter abstracts should be sent by May 31, 2011 to whirlwinds@rocketmail.com.

Chapter abstracts can be submitted in either English or French although French-language writers should know that the editors will seek to publish the book through an English-language press. (Both editors speak French and will work with French-language writers on translation.)

Abstracts should be no longer than one page long, and they should be accompanied by a brief biography of the author. Writers are welcome to revise former speeches and presentations for submission as chapter abstracts as long as they have not been previously published.

Potential writers should note that the language of the chapters should avoid jargon as the book will seek to present nuanced ideas in clear, straightforward language that will appeal to a broad readership beyond academia.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: whirlwinds@rocketmail.com

For submissions: whirlwinds@rocketmail.com

Deadline: 15 September 2010

SCOUT BANANA, in conjunction with James Madison College and the MSU African Studies Center, invites you to submit a manuscript to

Volume III, Issue I of Articulate: Undergraduate Research Applied to Development in Africa.

Articulate is an undergraduate journal that publishes academic papers and writings on development in Africa and African issues. It is a forum for students to contribute to, as well as initiate, debates in international development, as undergraduates remain a vital, untapped force for new ideas and perspectives within the development dialogue.

Primary criteria for inclusion in the journal are quality of research, relevance, and originality. All manuscripts must have been written as an undergraduate student. For Scholarly Articulates, we ask for submissions of roughly 15-20 pages double-spaced with citations formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style, and an abstract of 200 words. We also ask that the author’s name, major, college, and university appear on a separate cover sheet, with no reference to the author within the manuscript.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

* The effectiveness of foreign aid, microfinance, and social enterprise in Africa
* Intersections of gender, religion, ethnicity, and sexuality in African development
* Consequences of globalization, especially financial and trade integration
* Historical analyses and case studies of health care policies in Africa
* Politics of water and medicine in Africa
* The role of African youth in development programs and projects
* Effects of conflict and migration on health care and development

Articulate is also seeking brief reflective essays on your experiences in Africa, as well as reviews on literature relevant to Africa, development, and health care.

Reflective essays are 2-3 single-spaced pages and can take a variety of creative forms. They should explore development work from the perspective of a young person (under 30) from the Global North entering the Global South. Was it how you thought it would be? What did you like and/or dislike about it? What do you wish you had known when you were just “studying,” as opposed to working, in Africa on health-related issues? Other themes may be considered with consultation from the Editor-in-Chief.

Literature reviews are 2-3 single-spaced pages and are meant to keep Articulate’s readers abreast of current works and on-going debates pertinent to development, Africa, and health care. Reviews must provide a careful, thoughtful analysis and critique of a work’s main themes, objectives, arguments, and conclusions. They should include at least three titled sub-sections: an introduction that includes a synopsis of the work; an analysis that considers what, if any, assumptions underlie the author’s thinking and, if evidence is cited, how well it supports the work’s main objective; and a conclusion that summates your analysis and states the overall merits and/or shortcomings of the work.

Manuscripts will be accepted until Wednesday, September 15, 2010, with publication intended during November 2010. For submissions or inquiries, please contact the Editor-in-Chief at articulate@scoutbanana.org.

Deadline: 31 December 2010

Overview

In line with its vision to be an Arts Faculty that nurtures creativity, innovation and cultural understanding; and a mission to contribute innovatively to the socio-economic development of Africa and the world through culture-led social, economic and physical regeneration, the Faculty of the Arts at the Tshwane University of Technology is inviting abstracts for papers to be delivered at its Arts, Society and Sustainable Development Conference.

The aim of the conference is to assemble art practitioners (visual and performing), professionals, designers, academics, researchers, government officials, cultural workers, and industry partners to share creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries; and to offer a platform for the interrogation of the relationship between the arts and community development. This will assist in strengthening arts’ engagement and participation and become part of the momentum that will carry our industry forward into the coming decade.

Development is a vast area of human endeavour. Development is not limited to the narrow confines of economic growth and improvement of infrastructure in the urban areas. Development is taken holistically to include “The ability of the members of a community to relate creatively to themselves, their neighbours, their environment, and the world at large, so that each one might express his maximum potential. Such development, then, has a lot to do with the distribution of power and of resources – who gets what, how, and why? It is, basically, a process of empowerment” (Pradervand, 1989: xvii).

The conference encourages debates around socio-cultural development of the community, development of products, entrepreneurship, and the economy. Aspects such as ability to brand, to determine niche markets, to develop business plans and attract customers, should be investigated because in today’s knowledge economy they play critical roles in the development of the arts and design. Are there challenges militating against the development of policies to nurture growth in the culture industries? What are the challenges?

Presentations should be geared towards centre-staging arts’ capacity to help shape the past, present and future of contemporary societies. Papers must address the conference theme and the sub-themes.

Conference Theme: Arts, Society and Sustainable Development

Sub-Themes:
• Craft and national development
• Participatory theatre and community development
• Arts education and cultural development
• The arts, democratic ideals and state-building processes
• Arts and technological development
• Artistic innovation and social change
• Creative industries and economic development
• Cultural planning, policy, rural and urban regeneration
• Art products as cultural symbols
• Fashion design and entrepreneurship
• Socio-cultural aspects of clothing
• Literature/film in the service of humanity
• Multi-media and skills development
• Music industry and cultural/economic development
• Popular culture
• The arts and conflict resolution
• Entertainment technology and commercialisation.

(Presenters may not limit themselves to the listed sub-themes. Exploration of issues in related areas is encouraged).

CALL FOR PAPERS
International Conference on Arts, Society and Sustainable Development
27 – 29 June 2011 | Pretoria, South Africa
Venue
CSIR International Convention Centre,
Meiring Naude Road, Brummeria, Pretoria
www.csiricc.co.za
Conference Dates
27 – 29 JUNE 2011

Call for Abstracts
Presenters are to submit topics/abstracts (500 words; Pdf/MS Word format) to reach the Conference Secretariat by 31 December 2010. Receipt of abstracts will be acknowledged and letters of acceptance of abstracts will be mailed on 28 February 2011.

Guidelines for Submission of Abstracts
• Electronic submissions of abstracts are encouraged. Abstracts (hard copies) sent by mail will also be considered. E-mail your abstracts to Irene Botes: botesjc@tut.ac.za or Gladys Sibanda: sibandag@tut.ac.za.
• Abstracts received will be blind peer reviewed.
• Submissions must include a separate title page containing: title of paper; title, names and institutional affiliation of author(s); postal address; telephone and or/ fax numbers; e-mail addresses; and four or five keywords.
• Accepted abstracts will be published in the conference programme.
• Each abstract should be accompanied by a short bio-data of the presenter/author.
• A conference proceeding with an ISBN number will be published after the congress.

Deadline: 18 March 2011

Department: FACULTY OF HUMANITIES – SCHOOL OF LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE STUDIES

Position: Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer - African Languages

Description:

The School of Literature and Language Studies at Wits seeks to make an appointment at Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer-level in African Languages.

Requirements: A PhD in African languages and teaching experience in some or all of the following areas: African-language literature, linguistics, sociolinguistics, translation and popular culture in Africa; a substantial and successful research and/or creative writing record in African languages; a substantial record of peer-reviewed publications; experience in postgraduate supervision; evidence of ability to contribute to the work of the School.

Associate Professor will lead a regeneration of the discipline and should therefore be someone with leadership capacity, a vigorous vocational vision for the teaching of African languages and literature and a keen interest in encouraging research in the field.

Senior Lecturer will support the head of discipline in realising the vision of the discipline and should therefore be someone with leadership potential, a vested interest in African Languages and literature and strong interest in encouraging research in the field.

Closing Date: 2011/03/18

For more information, Contact:

Dr Innocentia Mhlambi
Telephone: 0117174257
Email: Innocentia.Mhlambi@wits.ac.za

To apply:

Submit a letter of application, a full curriculum vitae, certified copies of qualifications and identity document as well as the names and contact details (including e-mail) of three referees to Molly Orr, Humanities Human Resources Offices, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050

E-mail: Molly.Orr@wits.ac.za

Deadline: 25 February 2011

Position: AFRICAN LITERATURE LECTURER

Description:

The Faculty of Humanities invites applications for the post of Lecturer in African Literature in the School of Literature and Language Studies. The successful candidate will join a dynamic group of academics in an internationally renowned unit. Candidates should be committed to excellence in teaching, research, and postgraduate supervision.

Requirements: PhD, teaching experience, and demonstrable research agenda; any area of serious specialisation in the field of Anglophone African literature and its diasporas.

Applicants should include a non-returnable research sample, either a journal article or a book/thesis chapter.

Enquiries: Professor Bheki Peterson, e-mail: Bhekizizwe.Peterson@wits.ac.za

Closing Date: 2011/02/25

For more information, contact:

PUMLA NGCOBO
Telephone: 0117171433
Email: Pumla.Ngcobo@wits.ac.za

To apply:

TO APPLY FOR THE ABOVE POSITION: Submit a letter of application, a full curriculum vitae, research sample, certified copies of qualifications and identity document as well as the names and contact details (including e-mail) of three referees to Mrs Pumla Ngcobo, Humanities Human Resources Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050.

E-mail: Pumla.Ngcobo@wits.ac.za

Deadline: 25 February 2011

Department: FACULTY OF HUMANITIES – SCHOOL OF LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE STUDIES

Position: Senior Lecturer / Lecturer - Creative Writing

Description:

The School of Literature and Language Studies is seeking to employ a Senior Lecturer/Lecturer in Creative Writing. The successful candidate, in the first instance, will coordinate, administer and teach aspects of the Honours Degree in Creative Writing and will be involved in the Masters workshop. Candidates should be committed to excellence in teaching, research, and postgraduate supervision. Given the nature of these degrees, which entail creative writing in an array of genres as well as scholarly reflection, applicants should be experienced in the academic analysis of writing, as well as be practitioners. Preference will be given to applicants with experience in teaching writing and critique at a tertiary level. If appointed, he/she will also be expected to become involved in University events relating to the public life of literature.

Requirements: PhD in Literature, Writing, Journalism or a cognate discipline although candidates with a Masters in a relevant degree plus a significant record of published work will be considered.

Closing Date: 2011/02/25

For more information, contact:

Prof Gerrit Olivier
Telephone: 011 717 4567
Email: Gerrit.Olivier@wits.ac.za

To apply:

Submit a letter of application, a full curriculum vitae, certified copies of qualifications and identity document as well as the names and contact details (including e-mail) of three referees to Mrs Pumla Ngcobo, Humanities Human Resources Office, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Private Bag 3, WITS, 2050

E-mail: Pumla.Ngcobo@wits.ac.za

Deadline: 15 November 2010

A book to be co-edited by Chaka Chaka (Walter Sisulu University, South Africa) and Tamishra Swain (Banasthali University, India)

Title of the Book: Afro-Asian Experiences in Language Learning through New Technologies: Research and Practice

Introduction
Issues related to African and Asian experiences in language learning and teaching may have been researched and documented accordingly. However, there exists a scholarly need to compile and document Afro-Asian language learning and teaching experiences by researchers and practitioners at lower (school) and higher educational (college and university) levels in a composite book. In particular, there is an added need to compile and document such experiences as informed by the use of new technologies (e.g., online, wireless, and mobile technologies). This is particularly so since new technologies have impacted not only on English but on other languages worldwide as well. So, some of the questions this composite book will try to answer are the following:

• What specific experiences do Afro-Asian researchers and practitioners have regarding the use of new technologies in language learning and teaching in their respective regions?
• What best practices of the applications of new technologies in Afro-Asian language teaching can Afro-Asian scholars and practitioners share with their peers and other scholars?
• What are the current pedagogical approaches and innovations related to Afro-Asian language learning and teaching that scholars and practitioners employ?
• What are projects, pilots, experiments, initiatives and case studies focusing on Afro-Asian language learning and teaching that researchers and practitioners can share with their peers and others?

Objectives of the Book
The major objective of the proposed book is to present, in a composite book, in-depth research, academic and theoretical chapters on contemporary issues related to Afro-Asian language learning and teaching as informed by the use new technologies. The book also intends providing a space for scholars, researchers, and practitioners to articulate and appropriate experiences, and new models and approaches so as to interrogate pertinent issues related to Afro-Asian languages. In addition, it serves as an avenue for exploring the interface between new technologies and Afro-Asian languages within multiple Afro-Asian contexts. Most importantly, it provides a platform for scholars, researchers, and practitioners to present their best practices, projects, pilots, experiments, initiatives and case studies as they relate to Afro-Asian language teaching and learning using new technologies.

Target Audience
The target audience of this book will comprise students, scholars, practitioners, researchers and professionals of Afro-Asian languages. Moreover, the book will provide insights and understandings to scholars, researchers and practitioners of other languages as well.

Recommended Topics
Recommended topics for this book, whose primary focus is on Afro-Asian language learning and teaching experiences as informed by new technologies, are outlined below. However, we are also keen to receive illuminating and innovative submissions in other areas not included in our list:

• Language learning and teaching experiences
• Best practices
• Lessons learned
• Innovative pedagogical approaches and design issues
• Assessment or evaluation procedures for language learning and teaching
• Skills, vocabulary and grammar teaching
• Pilots, experiments, initiatives and case studies
• Use of new technologies (e.g., mobile phones/smart phones, iPods, PDAs, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, Google Docs, social networks, etc
• Digital identities and discourses within the multiple Afro-Asian learning contexts
• Digital literacies and multiliteracies
• Evaluation of the usability of new technologies
• Prospects, and future implementations and trends for deploying new technologies in Afro-Asian contexts

We are keen to receive submissions in two forms:

(1) Academic papers detailing original thoughts and first-hand experiences in varied areas of Afro-Asian learning and teaching. Such papers must adhere to the following conditions:
• Originality
• Should not have been published or not be intended to be published elsewhere
• Full chapters (between 5000-7000 words in length) conforming to the following structure: Abstract; Introduction; Background; Main discussion; Future trends/directions; and Conclusion

(2) Descriptions, discussions and reports of pilots, experiments, initiatives and case studies based on Afro-Asian language learning and teaching. These submissions must adhere to the same conditions as the ones specified above. However, they have to conform to the following chapter format: Abstract; Introduction; Literature review; Purpose; Approach/Theoretical framework; Research design/methodology; Findings and Discussion; Research limitations/implications (if applicable).

Proposal Submission Procedures
Authors are invited to submit chapter proposals (1000 words maximum and as email attachments) clearly explaining the mission and concerns of their intended chapters on or before November 15, 2010.

Important Dates
Chapter Proposal Submission Deadline: 15 November 2010
Notification of Acceptance/Rejection: 20 December 2010
Full Chapter Submission: 20 January 2010
Review Results Returned: 15 February 2011
Final Revised Chapter Submission: 10 March 2011
Final Acceptance Notification Deadline: 10 April 2011
Camera-ready Chapter Submission: 02 May 2011

Typescript, Referencing/Style manuals, Tables, Figures and Images
Manuscripts should be typed on an A-4 size paper/document, double-spaced, with generous margins at the top, bottom, and sides of the page and must be in MS Word 2003-2007 compatible format. The referencing style must conform to the APA style manual. And tables, figures and images used should be in .tif, .jpg or .jpeg format with a high resolution quality of between a 180-360 dpi setting. Copyrighted material must be acknowledged and permission to use such material must be obtained from the copyright holder. NB: All manuscripts will be peer reviewed on a double-blind review basis.

Special Request
NB: Contributors should note that they will be requested to review at least 2 or 3 manuscripts and, as such, need to attach their short biographical notes (100-150 word long) when submitting their chapter proposals. They should also furnish the following details:

Full name(s)
Title/Professional status
Department/Section/Unit
Employer/Affiliation/Organization
Country
E-mail addresses

Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) or by mail to:

Dr Chaka Chaka
Department of Humanities Education
Walter Sisulu University
Private Bag X1
Mthatha
5117
Republic of South Africa
chakachaka8@gmail.com

OR

Tamishra Swain
603, Gautam Buddh Niwas
Banasthali University
Rajasthan-304022
India
tamishraswain@yahoo.com

NB: Please ensure that the submission you email to one editor is also CC’ed (copied) to the other.

Deadline: 30 November 2011

The Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies publishes interdisciplinary and cross-cultural articles, interviews, and creative writings on the literatures, the histories, the politics, and the arts whose focus, locales, or subjects involve Britain and other European countries and their former colonies, the now decolonized, independent nations in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and also Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Something New out of Twenty-First-Century Africa?

A call for essays for a special issue of The Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies

The Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies announces a special issue on new writing from Africa, to be guest-edited by Simon Lewis (College of Charleston) and Lindsey Green-Simms (American University), and published in spring 2013. The editors are looking for articles that address the ways in which the economic, political, and technological changes of the early 21st century have affected the modes of writing on the African continent.

While this theme may be broadly interpreted, the editors are especially interested in articles that engage the following types of questions:

* How is 21st-century African writing reconfiguring the debates about tradition vs. modernity?
* How are new media and communication technologies affecting literary expression and readerships?
* Has the internet created space for the vernacular, the original, and the local?
* How are new geopolitical formations shaping literary production and distribution?
* How are new political alignments within the Global South affecting the production of African literature?
* Are new strands of nationalism and/or pan-Africanism emerging, or is African literature more profoundly marked by cosmopolitanism, and narratives of migration and/or entrapment?
* Does it make sense any more to think of African writing as postcolonial?
* How are new trends in environmentalism and new biotechnologies affecting understanding of (human) nature, sustainability, and individual and collective right-living?
* What is the relationship between the African novel and modes of popular culture such as Nollywood, hip-hop, or self-help manuals?

Please send substantial, completed essays of 5,000 to 8,000 words to Lindsey Green-Simms and Simon Lewis at lewiss@cofc.edu before November 30th, 2011. Essays must be written in English, using MLA format for style and citations. In order to facilitate blind review, please do not include your name or affiliation in the body of the essay, but provide a separate cover-sheet with that information.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: lewiss@cofc.edu

For submissions: lewiss@cofc.edu

Website: http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/litphi/jcps/jcps.htm

Deadline: 30 November 2011

"Something New out of Twenty-First-Century Africa?"

A call for essays for a special issue of the Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies

The Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies announces a special issue on new writing from Africa, to be guest-edited by Simon Lewis (College of Charleston) and Lindsey Green-Simms (American University), and published in spring 2013. The editors are looking for articles that address the ways in which the economic, political, and technological changes of the early 21st century have affected the modes of writing on the African continent.

While this theme may be broadly interpreted, the editors are especially interested in articles that engage the following types of questions:

-How is 21st-century African writing reconfiguring the debates about tradition vs. modernity?

-How are new media and communication technologies affecting literary expression and readerships?

-Has the internet created space for the vernacular, the original, and the local?

-How are new geopolitical formations shaping literary production and distribution?

- How are new political alignments within the Global South affecting the production of African literature?

-Are new strands of nationalism and/or pan-Africanism emerging, or is African literature more profoundly marked by cosmopolitanism, and narratives of migration and/or entrapment?

-Does it make sense any more to think of African writing as postcolonial?

-How are new trends in environmentalism and new biotechnologies affecting understanding of (human) nature, sustainability, and individual and collective right-living?

-What is the relationship between the African novel and modes of popular culture such as Nollywood, hip-hop, or self-help manuals?

Please send substantial, completed essays of 5,000 to 8,000 words to Lindsey Green-Simms and Simon Lewis at lewiss@cofc.edu before November 30th, 2011. Essays must be written in English, using MLA format for style and citations. In order to facilitate blind review, please do not include your name or affiliation in the body of the essay, but provide a separate cover-sheet with that information.

The Journal of Commonwealth and Postcolonial Studies publishes interdisciplinary and cross-cultural articles, interviews, and creative writings on the literatures, the histories, the politics, and the arts whose focus, locales, or subjects involve Britain and other European countries and their former colonies, the now decolonized, independent nations in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, and also Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Contact Information:

For inquiries: lewiss@cofc.edu

For submissions: lewiss@cofc.edu

Website: http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/litphi/jcps/jcps.htm

We are inviting academic editorial contributors to a new reference work: Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia.

The four volumes include:

* Volume 1: Middle East
* Volume 2: Africa
* Volume 3: East Asia and Southeast Asia
* Volume 4: West, Central, and South Asia

In our age of globalization and multiculturalism, it has never been more important for Americans to understand and appreciate foreign cultures-how people live, love, and learn in areas of the world unfamiliar to most U.S. students and the general public. The Cultural Sociology encyclopedia takes a step forward toward presenting concise information with historical and contemporary coverage of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, as four volumes of area studies illuminate the powerful influence of culture on society.

Each title comprises approximately 200 articles organized chronologically and alphabetically, addressing such academic disciplines as sociology, political science, women’s studies, business, history, religion, law, health, education, economics, and geography. It is the intent of the encyclopedia to convey what daily life was/is like for people in these regions. Each article ranges from 600 to 3,000 words. We are now making new assignments due December 1, 2010.

This comprehensive project will be published by SAGE Reference in 2012 and will be marketed to academic and public libraries as a print and digital product available to students via the library’s electronic services. The General Editor, who will be reviewing each submission to the project, is Dr. Orlando Patterson at Harvard University.

If you are interested in contributing to this cutting-edge reference, it is a unique opportunity to contribute to the contemporary literature, redefining sociological issues in today’s terms. Moreover, it can be a notable publication addition to your CV/resume and broaden your publishing credits. SAGE Publications offers an honorarium ranging from SAGE book credits for smaller articles up to a free set of the printed product or access to the online product for contributions totaling 10,000 words or more.

The list of available articles is already prepared, and as a next step we will e-mail you the Article List (Excel file) from which you can select topics that best fit your expertise and interests. Additionally, Style and Submission Guidelines will be provided that detail article specifications.

If you would like to contribute to building a truly outstanding reference with the Cultural Sociology of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: An Encyclopedia, please contact me by the e-mail information below. Please provide a brief summary of your academic/publishing credentials specific to the region.

For inquiries, and to ask for a list of topics, get in touch with:

Lisbeth Rogers
Author Manager
Golson Media
culturalsociology@golsonmedia.com

Deadline: 28 March 2011

Write a mini-story approximately 60 words long with an ecological or nature conservation theme, and it could be published on a limited-edition Leopard’s Leap back label!

Any conservation-themed story qualifies, as long as you can tell it in 60 words. You may write about any ecological topic you are passionate about. The winner’s story will be printed on the back label of a limited-edition Leopard’s Leap bottle series, which will be sold countrywide. The lucky winner will also walk away with a Mont Blanc pen and a case of Leopard’s Leap wine.

Depending on the quality and number of entries, LitNet hopes to publish all entries continuously. One winner per language will be selected at the beginning of April by two judges. The closing date is 28 March 2011. Send your entry to wen@litnet.co.za.

Leopard’s Leap is a proud sponsor of South African literature and nature conservation. We support the Cape Leopard Trust (www.capeleopard.org.za), which helps protect the endangered Cape leopard.

Rules

1. Entries have to be between 55 and 65 words long.
2. Entries in Afrikaans and English will be accepted.
3. The winners must agree to alter some words and/or characters of their entries if necessary, in order to fit the wine label size and design.
4. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding their decision.
5. No employee and/or family member of Leopard’s Leap, Meridian, LitNet or the Cape Leopard Trust may enter the competition.
6. Entries may not be in SMS language, ie no abbreviated language.
7. Only two entries (regardless of the language of the entries) per person are allowed.

Deadline: 30 April 2011

CALL FOR PAPERS: Transnational Laughter – Contemporary Film and TV Comedy across National Borders

I am seeking proposals and contributions for a collection of original essays entitled Transnational Laughter: Contemporary Film and TV Comedy across National Borders. As the first edited volume of its kind, Transnational Laughter seeks to expand the field of media studies and shed light on overlooked areas of academic interest, taking comedy and its various subgenres (including black comedy, improv, modern slapstick, the romcom, satire, scatological humor, sketch comedy, spoofs, stand-up, and so forth) as vehicles through which to assess the international transit of these specific cultural forms over the past 25-30 years. Focusing on recent industrial and technological developments that have facilitated the global circulation, consumption, and reception of humor-based short films, feature-length motion pictures, and television programs (from Canada to Romania to South Africa to New Zealand to Taiwan to Venezuela and beyond), the essays in this volume will collectively make the case that, counter to traditional wisdom, comedy does travel, albeit often in limited (and unexpected) ways due to cultural differences, industry regulations, political factors, and/or language barriers.

Although an emphasis will be placed on the reception of texts across national and regional borders, contributors are invited to take a variety of critical approaches or theoretical perspectives in the analyses of their chosen case studies. Contributors should feel free to pursue qualitative research in the areas of media industries, audience studies, spectatorship, situated (counter)publics, and resistant or negotiated reading strategies adopted by in-group or out-group members. In hopes of reaching a wide readership, the essays should be sophisticated and scholarly, yet relatively jargon-free.

Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

· culturally specific forms of physical and/or spoken comedy located in selected national contexts, e.g. Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Mainland China, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Russia, Senegal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and so forth

· exemplary, humor-based works that have been produced in largely overlooked areas of the world, i.e., countries that have not received much attention in the existing literature on international film and television comedy

· recent film and TV remakes of international comedies and the challenges of cultural translation/adaptation

· different manifestations of comic satisfaction, such as laughter, finger-snaps, whistles, etc., found in regionally specific contexts of film and television reception

· humor "on the move” and the mobile consumption of comedy (liminal spectatorship)

· cross-cultural "cringe,” the global "gross out” moment, and the affective trajectories of scatological comedy

· international comedy film festivals, media outlets, cable networks, and the marketing/selling/exhibition of humor-based cultural productions across borders

· YouTube and other video-sharing websites through which comedy is made to "circulate” virtually

· stars of global comedy and the "transnationalizing” of comedic talent

· racial and ethnic diversity in internationally distributed comedy productions

· sexual identity and gender politics in internationally distributed comedy productions

· social class and strategies of "containment”

Please send your abstract (500-750 words in length) or completed essay (5,000-7,000 words), plus a brief biographical statement, as e-mail attachments (in Word or as a Rich Text File) to the email address listed below.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is April 30, 2011. Once I have determined which essays to include in the volume, I will send the manuscript proposal to a university press this summer. The tentative deadline for the completion of essays (after acceptance) will be December 30, 2011.

Dr. David Scott Diffrient
Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies
Department of Communication Studies
Colorado State University
Scott.Diffrient@colostate.edu