USA Africa Dialogue Series - SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON LITERATURE IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

 

SIXTH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON LITERATURE IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Conference Website: http://kwasu.edu.ng/acln2011

DATE: NOVEMBER 29^TH- DECEMBER 2^ND, 2011.

VENUE: KWARA STATE UNIVERSITY, MALETE, NIGERIA.

THEME: WOMEN IN LITERATURE AND FILMS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Context

In continuation of the Literature in Northern Nigeria Conference tradition started in 1989 by Bayero University Kano, it has been resolved that henceforth future conferences will be jointly organized by Bayero University, Kano and Kwara State University, Malete, and the venue shall be rotated between the two universities. This year's edition being the 6^th will be hosted by the Kwara State University, Malete. The collaboration is intended to:

a) Enhance the position of the conference as a major intellectual and scholarly destination in Nigeria

b) Aim at helping to achieve intellectual excellence through the high level academic standard of discourse.

This year's theme shall be on the issue of women, gender, and sexuality and will form the basis of the academic scholarship for this year's conference. Women as creative writers and as characters in northern Nigeria and their constraints as individuals within a religious and socially conservative society will also be examined in relation to the representations of women issues in the literature and films of contemporary Northern Nigeria. Critical evaluation is expected to be made of the choice of genres, and how writers have applied individual imaginative and instructive emphasis to the treatment of such chosen and selected creative genre by the women creative writers. Furthermore, the role of religion in gender groupings, in the identification of themes and the understanding of characterization in the creative works, will be subjects of discourse by interested scholars. "kannywood" (Kano) movie industry which is predominantly of Hausa content, context, and of northern Nigerian thematic preoccupation inline with the portrayal of women will also be examined. The presentation of women as symbols of the stories and characters or as 'caricatures' in the films within northern sociological norms will also be examined. Other themes in the works of the women writers, traditional singers and performers, themes in the works in which women are portrayed such assaranrhya, 'victimhood in popular culture', love themes and violence within domestic situations, women in rural communities, politics and women, rural women and global perspectives, women as ethnic, religious and cultural stereotypes and their acceptability by both the reading and viewing audience, will also be discussed.

Sub Themes:

· Women images in popular culture

· Psychology of gendered behaviours in literary works

· Language in northern Nigerian women literature

· Northern Nigerian women literature and political awareness

· Women writers and images of women

· The works of Zaynab Alkali

· Islam, women, literature and films in Northern Nigeria

· Portrayal of women in northern Nigerian Literature

· Imaging of women in northern Nigerian films

· Kannywood and representation of gender issues.

· Women as sexual symbols in northern Nigerian literature

· Women singers and performers

· Women film makers and actresses.

· Women, dance and music in northern Nigeria dramatic performance

· Women themes in traditional oral performances

· Women and religion in northern Nigerian films or literature

· The influence of Western Education on northern Nigerian literature

One page abstracts are invited from interested participants on any aspect of the conference theme and sub-themes, to reach the organizers immediately but not later than October 10^th, 2011, the extended submission deadline.

Hotel Reservation: October 10, 2011

Registration: Local Participants: N5,000; Conference Fees: N5,000

International Participants: $100 each.

For inquiry and to submit abstracts contact the following address and any of the:

E-mail lit.northernnigeria@kwasu.edu.ng

CONVENER:
Prof. Ahmed Yerima, ahmed.yerima@kwasu.edu.ng

Dept. of Performing and Visual Arts.

 

CO-CONVENERS:
Prof. Samba Diop., samba.diop@kwasu.edu.ng;

Dr. Sakah Mahmud, sakah.mahmud@kwasu.edu.ng

 

 

Obioma Nnaemeka, PhD

Chancellor's Distinguished Professor
President, Association of African Women Scholars (AAWS)
Dept. of World Languages & Cultures Phone: 317-278-2038; 317-274-0062 (messages)
Cavanaugh Hall 543A Fax: 317-278-7375

Indiana University E-mail: nnaemeka@iupui.edu
425 University Boulevard

Indianapolis, IN 46202 USA