Introduction to African Electronic Literature
Keywords:
African electronic literature, MAELD, ADELD, African Digital Humanities, African new spaces of creative writingAbstract
The classification of literature faces challenges from new media and ICT, leading to expanded boundaries, artistic innovation, and reader empowerment. Digital humanities, an emerging trend, has created space for electronic literature, particularly in the Global North. However, African electronic literature lacks critical attention, with scholars questioning the Electronic Literature Organization's limited representation of African works like Flash Fiction Ghana and Bent not Broken. This gap underscores the need to explore African electronic literature comprehensively. My study aims to describe and explore emerging African electronic literature and its subgenres. It delves into the origins, subgenre classification, authorship, and the digital infrastructures supporting this literature. Ultimately, it highlights the potential for African autonomy to shape global culture, particularly as other world powers grapple with economic and political challenges.
Résumé
La classification de la littérature est confrontée aux défis des nouveaux médias et des TIC, conduisant à un élargissement des frontières, à une innovation artistique et à une responsabilisation des lecteurs. Les Humanités Numériques, une tendance émergente, ont créé un espace pour la littérature numérique, en particulier dans les pays du Nord. Cependant, la littérature numérique africaine manque d'attention critique, les chercheurs remettant en question la représentation limitée par l'Electronic Literature Organization d'œuvres africaines comme Flash Fiction Ghana et Bent not Broken. Cette lacune souligne la nécessité d’explorer la littérature numérique africaine de manière globale. Mon étude vise à décrire et explorer la littérature numérique africaine émergente et ses sous-genres. Il explore les origines, la classification des sous-genres, la paternité et les infrastructures numériques qui soutiennent cette littérature. En fin de compte, cela met en évidence le potentiel de l’autonomie africaine pour façonner la culture mondiale, en particulier alors que d’autres puissances mondiales sont aux prises avec des défis économiques et politiques.
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