2024 Conference: Filiations and Affiliations

CFPs for Panels, Roundtables, Seminars

Instructions

This page is intended to assist those who would like to collaborate with other members to organize panel, roundtable, and seminar proposals. Scroll down to see session CFPs.

For participants wanting to join a proposed session

If you would like to submit your abstract for consideration for one of the sessions listed below, please contact the session organizer directly, using the email address provided in the CFP. Please do not contact the ALA about session CFPs.

For session organizers

If you would like to organize a panel, roundtable, or seminar, but need others to join you, please consider posting a mini-call for papers here. You will need to formulate a working title for your session, a short abstract, and instructions for others to send you their own abstracts for consideration.

After you have gathered abstracts and composed your session, you will need to submit the complete panel, roundtable, or seminar proposal for consideration. Submit completed proposals here.

Policies

The ALA does not endorse any CFP and bears no responsibility for monitoring the content of CFPs.

Please note that, if your session proposal is accepted, every presenter will be required to complete conference registration and to be a paid-up ALA member.

To create your post, click here.

The Amazigh tale
Session type:
Panel
Organized by: Katia Bellal
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
kb5jp@virginia.edu

Along with poetry and singing, the tale is the best-known narrative genre of Amazigh oral literature. To date, there are a considerable number of collections of Amazigh oral literature, the collection of which began in the 19th century. The latter was initiated by Europeans and continued by researchers in Berber studies without interruption until today. Beyond a simple story, the tale represents a performance that is as much oral as it is theatrical. Inherited from oral tradition and although anonymous, the tale becomes an individual creation thanks to the performance and talents of the storyteller.
This panel proposes to explore various avenues for reflection on the Amazigh tale. This may involve analyzing one or more Amazigh tales from the oral tradition using various academic approaches (linguistics, semiotics, anthropological, psychoanalytic, etc…). These approaches can highlight, for instance, the conflict between orality and writing; the evolution of the tale and its transmission, the preservation of the oral tradition and its transmission and archiving media. Moreover, with the growth of the audiovisual and digital sector, the question of the place, presentation, transmission as well as the renewal of the Amazigh tale in these spaces arises.
This panel therefore offers a range of possible fields of study around the Amazigh tale, from the literary, anthropological, ethnological, ethnolinguistic, linguistic, cinematographic fields, to postcolonial and gender studies, etc…

African Toxic Ecologies
Session type:
Panel
Organized by: Chijioke K. Onah
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
cko34@cornell.edu

This panel hopes to critically engage with Africa’s affiliation with what Sourit Bhattacharya theorized as “the toxic ecologies of the Global South” that reflects “the disposable nature of life and living in this part of the world” as well as the “socio-economic and physio-ecological conditions characteristics of the Global South” (222, 225). Given the saturation of African ecologies with wastes, toxins, and pollutants; contributors examine the implications of unprecedented exposure to toxic contamination and pollution from various sources, such as industrial pollution, chemical and electronic waste, fossil fuel extractions, and climate change in Africa, and the entanglement between these forms of exposures on the continent.
The central questions for potential contributors are: How have African literary writers, artists, and thinkers theorized the implications of toxicity and environmental violence in Africa and the African diaspora? What are the social, health, and environmental consequences of environmental pollution and toxicity to human and non-human beings in the ecosystem? In what ways can we make legible the invisible violence of toxicity and environmental violence? How can literary and creative forms help us to imagine forms of living ethically and sustainably in a toxic saturated world?
I also invite contributors to investigate the intersection between toxicity and environmental degradation in Africa to show the uneven experiences of climate change and environmental degradation. By examining the ways in which various writers, artists, and activists engage with the (bio)politics of toxicity and its relations to ecology; I invite panelists to interrogate the complex relationship between colonialism, environmental (in)justice, capitalism, race, and gender.
Outstanding proposals will be invited to contribute to a planned special issue of The Global South on “Toxic Ecologies and Energy Conflict in the Global South.”
Please send questions to Chijioke Onah at cko34@cornell.edu

WOCALA Roundtable on "Teaching African Women’s Writing Now"
Session type:
Organized by: Kanika Batra
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
kanika.batra@ttu.edu

Teaching African Women’s Writing Now: Roundtable

African women’s writing is regularly included in most world, global, postcolonial, and comparative literature undergraduate and graduate curricula across the world. In the United States the focus is usually on a select few canonical texts, ranging from Ama Ata Aidoo, Buchi Emecheta, Bessie Head, and Efua Sutherland’s works to late twentieth century and twenty-first century African and diasporic writing by Tsitsi Dangarembga, Taiye Selasi, NoViolet Bulawayo, Nadifa Mohammed, Laila Lalami and others. How does this focus serve to present a specific, perhaps limited and essentialized, view of African literature that is different from the way it is taught on the continent or in other parts of the world? This roundtable invites participants to reflect on their institutional and disciplinary filiations and affiliations when teaching African women’s writing in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and the US, with a focus on choices of texts for their syllabi and the responses elicited from students in these contexts. Send 200-word abstracts and 100-word biographies by November 20 to Kanika Batra at kanika.batra@ttu.edu.

WOCALA Special Session on "Intersectionalities in African Feminist and Queer Thought "
Session type:
Panel
Organized by: Kanika Batra
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
kanika.batra@ttu.edu

Intersectionalities in African Feminist and Queer Thought

In national, international, and transnational spaces, African women and LGBTQ+ presence looks very different from that in Euro-American locations. For those engaged in politics on the continent, intersectionality not only involves questions of race, gender, sexuality, and class, but also war, displacement, enforced migration, and ongoing health crises. What have we learned from African feminist and queer thought that can inform our understandings of intersectional struggles? This panel invites presentations that expand on the idea of intersectionality as discussed by African feminist and queer theorists Oyeronke Oyewumi, Zethu Matebeni, Sylvia Tamale, Amanda Gouws, and others by using their ideas to open up conversations about African literature, culture, and media. Send 300-word abstracts and 100-word biographies by November 20 to Kanika Batra at kanika.batra@ttu.edu

African Literature in African languages: Imaginative Creativity in African Mother-Tongues
Session type:
Panel
Organized by: Ernest N. Emenyonu
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
eernest@umich.edu

Literature written in African languages is today, the least studied and most neglected in the field of African Literature. It should be clear by now in the 21st century, that any definition of African literature that excludes Oral literature and literature written in African languages is incomplete and inaccurate to say the least. In some African countries, some writers in the mother tongue have long been blazing trails. The organizers of the 1962 Makerere Conference probably knew this but could not or would not give them or their writings any attention. It was in the colonial era, and they viewed African literature from the colonial perspective. Their chosen title was ‘Conference of African Writers of English Expression’. Obi Wali’s absolute declaration that ‘African literature written in European languages, was ‘a dead end’, was a wrong focus of the conversations that should have been. The subsequent recurring controversial discourses on ‘The Language of African literature’ were not all-inclusive. This panel will focus among other things, on the state of the literature written in the mother tongue in various African countries, case studies of specific writers highlighting achievements in imaginative creativity, challenges of translation, teaching and learning in the mother tongue etc. Papers on the roles of organizations such as the African Literature Association in the promotion and study of African languages and literatures would be welcome.
Participants interested in presenting papers on this panel should send their 200 word-abstracts to eernest@umich.edu by November 13, 2023.

African Literature in African languages: Imaginative Creativity in African Mother-Tongues
Session type:
Panel
Organized by: Ernest N. Emenyonu
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
eernest@umich.edu

Literature written in African languages is today, the least studied and most neglected in the field of African Literature. It should be clear by now in the 21st century, that any definition of African literature that excludes Oral literature and literature written in African languages is incomplete and inaccurate to say the least. In some African countries, some writers in the mother tongue have long been blazing trails. The organizers of the 1962 Makerere Conference probably knew this but could not or would not give them or their writings any attention. It was in the colonial era, and they viewed African literature from the colonial perspective. Their chosen title was ‘Conference of African Writers of English Expression’. Obi Wali’s absolute declaration that ‘African literature written in European languages, was ‘a dead end’, was a wrong focus of the conversations that should have been. The subsequent recurring controversial discourses on ‘The Language of African literature’ were not all-inclusive. This panel will focus among other things, on the state of the literature written in the mother tongue in various African countries, case studies of specific writers highlighting achievements in imaginative creativity, challenges of translation, teaching and learning in the mother tongue etc. Papers on the roles of organizations such as the African Literature Association in the promotion and study of African languages and literatures would be welcome.
Participants interested in presenting papers on this panel should send their 200 word-abstracts to eernest@umich.edu by November 13, 2023.

Orally or AI-ly: Futuristic Perspectives on African Oral Storytelling in an AI era
Session type:
Panel
Organized by: Samuel Kwesi Nkansah
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
snkansah@ucc.edu.gh

Abstract
Across Sub-Saharan Africa, oral storytelling serves as a core pillar of cultural identity, transmitting shared histories, values, and wisdom through stories passed down across generations. This tradition has been adopted in African literary writings, making it flexible and interactive to develop humanity uniquely adapted to local context. However, the advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses a disruptive change through an automated generation of stories algorithmically. This raises questions about the future interplay between endemic African oral storytelling traditions and AI capabilities of storytelling. It is based on this context that I call for abstract submissions for a panel that explores the complexities of the connection between traditional-community based storytelling to AI-oriented individualised generation. The panel explores opportunities of using AI to enrich African oral tradition and challenges of losing cultural authenticity and communal sensibilities. Surveying several studies on Afropolitan literature, this paper calls for embracing AI’s potential and safeguarding Africa’s storytelling roots. The panel aims to spark dialogues assessing risks, opportunities, and responsible innovation at the intersection of oral storytelling and futuristic AI advancement.
I invite abstracts on the following sub-themes or related issues:

Storytelling and Technology
Storytelling and AI Text-generation
Oral Tradition, Modernity and Innovation
Storytelling and Language Models
Storytelling, Cultural Identity and AI
Orality and AI

Abstracts should be submitted by November 12, 2023.

Advice: Abstracts should have the following features;
About 150 Words,
The Name of the Author,
The Institutional Affiliation of the Author,
The Email Address of the Author; and
Short Auto–Bio of the Author.

Ololade Asake's Music in Cultural Discourses: Bonds, Entanglements, and Social Networks
Session type:
Panel
Organized by: Pelumi Folajimi
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
pelumifolajimi@yahoo.com

‘‘Omo Ope’’ was one of the musical titles that called attention to Ololade Asake who began to earn fame and artistic glory around 2022, one of the years of COVID 19 Pandemic. Since then, Asake has performed alongside some of the most important Nigerian Hip Hop musicians such as Burna Boy, Tiwa Savage, Davido, Olamide Adedeji, and others. In fact, Asake has, himself, become an indispensable musician and superstar. He has produced two albums; Mr. Money with the Vibe (2022) and Work of Art (2023). In August and September 2023, respectively, Asake’s concerts sold out the 20,000 audience capacity 02 Arena in London and 19,000 audience capacity Barclay Hall in New York. Asake has been able to establish himself as a global star whose music celebrates the African and, particularly, Yoruba identities. Kofi Agawu argues that African music has three significant components; ‘‘repetition, allusive quality, and contemplative capacity’’ (Representing African Music, 2003: 145). Asake’s music demonstrates the three virtues that Agawu theorizes. Asake’s music provides sufficient resources for scholarly engagement. It is on this note that I call for abstract submissions for a panel that engages the music of Asake. The sub–themes include, but not limited to, the following subjects;
Asake and African Identity
The Poetry of Asake’s Music
The Lyrical Powers of Asake’s Music
Asake and the Digital Space
Asake and Media Studies
Asake’s Music, Fashion, and Youth Culture
Asake, Dance and Choreography
Asake and Language Aesthetics
Women in Asake’s Music
Asake on Stage: Fandom, Audience, and Stage Craft
Asake and Inter–Genre Music: Juju and Fuji in Asake’s Hip Hop Music
Fame and Musical Glory: Asake Alive and Mohbad in Death
Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy, and Olamide in Asake’s Music

Abstracts should be submitted by November 12, 2023.

Advice: Abstracts should have the following features;
About 150 Words,
The Name of the Author,
The Institutional Affiliation of the Author,
The Email Address of the Author; and
Short Auto–Bio of the Author.

Linkages and Departures: Performing Africa in a Globalizing World
Session type:
Panel
Organized by: Izuu Nwankwọ
Send abstracts or inquiries to:
izuu.nwankwo@utoronto.ca

Linkages, the wide-ranging relatedness and links between Africa, its diasporas, and everywhere else, and departures, the differences and divergences between these sites and their peoples, are implicated in the contemporary remixes of traditional African forms of expression with modern (Westernized) variants. Where the former exhibits itself in congruences of resistance and solidarity as well as hybridity, the latter emanates in rupture, fragmentation, contradiction, ambivalence, and diversity. Both concepts are thus dynamic and dialectical processes which (are) shape(d) by the changing contexts of intercultural encounters. Consequently, emergent African/diaspora live or online expressions, ranging from theatre and film to podcasting, vlogging, and gaming, now proudly divulge hybrid identities. This panel seeks scholarly contributions that explore the linkages and departures in these performances, focusing on how they reflect, challenge, and transform the notions of identity, culture, and community in a globalized world. Among others, the panel proposes to address questions pertaining to how and why African (diaspora) performers use specific platforms to create, share and circulate their artistic outputs; how they negotiate the tensions and opportunities arising from the intersections of local, national, regional, and global contacts; how they engage with the histories, memories, and imaginaries of Africa and its diaspora; how these enactments respond to the social, political and economic issues and challenges affecting their communities as well as contributions that offer insights into the cultural and creative industries produced and their potentials for social change and empowerment. Preferably, proposed contributions should explore, but not limited to, the following: provide conceptual and historical overviews which trace origins, trajectories, and dimensions of African (diaspora) performances over time; analyse select case studies that illustrate the diversity and complexity of African (diaspora) live and online enactments; or provide elaborate understanding of African (diaspora) cultures and identities in the light of their affiliations in the 21st century.