African Literature in Portuguese
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
This course aims to provide students with a general understanding of historical, political and literary evolution of luphone african cultures. An introduction to formation («formação») of african national literatures in portuguese is offered, with a specific attention to complex colonial and political history. An introduction will be given to the historical study of Africa and to the theoretical problems related with the analysis of postcolonial literatures in portuguese.
Expected learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding: outline of african history and of portuguese colonialism in Africa; formation of african colonies, development of national literatures , main authors and literary movements from Colonial Literature to the postcolonial contemporary era with a specific attention to Angola, Cap-Vert and Mozambique; fundamental elements of history of ideas and conceptual history that help analyze the societies and cultures of these countries. Applying knowledge and understanding: ability to read and contextualize some paradigmatic works of african thought and postcolonial literatures in portuguese; understanding of historic, cultural, and social implications of literary texts; ability to place authors, movements and works in their context; ability to analyze literary texts through the application of ideas and concepts borrowed from literary criticism, post-colonial theory, cultural studies and historiography.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
Second semester
Course syllabus
The course is entitled: The memory of independence in Portuguese-speaking African cultures: anti-colonialist thought and literature.
Three teaching units:
In Unit A, the formation of Portuguese language literatures in Portugal's former African colonies will be studied.
In unit B, we will address the formation of anti-colonialism between Africa and Europe and how national identity is structured around the historical event of national liberation struggles.
In unit C, we will study some works from the Mozambican literary field that reconfigure the memory of liberation struggles and the transition to the post-colonial condition.
The course provides 9 or 6 credits.
The course program is valid until September 2026. From the summer session 2024 it will be possible to present exclusively A.A. 2023-24 program.
Three teaching units:
In Unit A, the formation of Portuguese language literatures in Portugal's former African colonies will be studied.
In unit B, we will address the formation of anti-colonialism between Africa and Europe and how national identity is structured around the historical event of national liberation struggles.
In unit C, we will study some works from the Mozambican literary field that reconfigure the memory of liberation struggles and the transition to the post-colonial condition.
The course provides 9 or 6 credits.
The course program is valid until September 2026. From the summer session 2024 it will be possible to present exclusively A.A. 2023-24 program.
Prerequisites for admission
The course is held in Italian and there is no prerequisite.
The course is held in the second Semester (February 2025)
The course is held in the second Semester (February 2025)
Teaching methods
The course adopts the following teaching methods: lectures, practical activities, presentations.
Teaching Resources
The course has a Teams channel that is accessed with a code that will be provided on the first day of class. Please refer to the Teams channel for the complete syllabus, lecture notes and other materials provided by the lecturers. For each section, specific critical essays on individual works or authors, or on general issues, will be made available on the channel. Below are the compulsory reading materials for the various sections.
Examination program for attending students:
Unit A
Inocência Mata, Roberto Francavilla e Valeria Tocco, Le letterature africane in lingua portoghese. Temi, percorsi e prospettive, Hoepli, Milano, 2022.
Unit B
V. Russo, La Resistenza continua. Colonialismo portoghese, lotte di liberazione e gli intellettuali italiani, Meltemi, Milano, 2020.
Unit C
1) Bernardo Honwana, Nós matamos o cão tinhoso, Porto, Afrontamento, 1988 (1ª edição 1964) [Abbiamo ucciso il cane rognoso, tr. it. di Sara Favilla, Edizioni Goreé, Monticiano (SI), 2008]
2) Helder Macedo, Partes de África, Lisboa, Presença, 1991 [Da qualche parte in Africa, tr. it. di Chiara Magnante e Agnese Soffritti, Parma, Diabasis, 2010]
3) Paulina Chiziane, Niketche. Uma História de poligamia, Lisboa, Caminho, 2002 [Niketche. Una storia di poligamia, tr. it. di Giorgio De Marchis, Roma, La Nuovo Frontiera, 2006]
An Anthology of José Craveirinha's poems.
Examination program for attending students:
Unit A
Inocência Mata, Roberto Francavilla e Valeria Tocco, Le letterature africane in lingua portoghese. Temi, percorsi e prospettive, Hoepli, Milano, 2022.
Unit B
V. Russo, La Resistenza continua. Colonialismo portoghese, lotte di liberazione e gli intellettuali italiani, Meltemi, Milano, 2020.
Unit C
1) Bernardo Honwana, Nós matamos o cão tinhoso, Porto, Afrontamento, 1988 (1ª edição 1964) [Abbiamo ucciso il cane rognoso, tr. it. di Sara Favilla, Edizioni Goreé, Monticiano (SI), 2008]
2) Helder Macedo, Partes de África, Lisboa, Presença, 1991 [Da qualche parte in Africa, tr. it. di Chiara Magnante e Agnese Soffritti, Parma, Diabasis, 2010]
3) Paulina Chiziane, Niketche. Uma História de poligamia, Lisboa, Caminho, 2002 [Niketche. Una storia di poligamia, tr. it. di Giorgio De Marchis, Roma, La Nuovo Frontiera, 2006]
An Anthology of José Craveirinha's poems.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The exam consists of an oral test with the teacher of the monographic course.
The oral exam with the teahcer of the course includes questions asked by the teacher and interactions between teacher and student. The exam takes place in Italian. The interview aims to verify the knowledge of the texts studied, the capacity for contextualization, the ability to expose, the precision in the use of specific terminology, the capacity for critical and personal reflection on the proposed themes.
The final grade is expressed in thirtieths, and the student has the right to refuse it.
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the teacher promptly. The examination procedures for students with disabilities and/or with DSA must be established with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
The oral exam with the teahcer of the course includes questions asked by the teacher and interactions between teacher and student. The exam takes place in Italian. The interview aims to verify the knowledge of the texts studied, the capacity for contextualization, the ability to expose, the precision in the use of specific terminology, the capacity for critical and personal reflection on the proposed themes.
The final grade is expressed in thirtieths, and the student has the right to refuse it.
International or Erasmus incoming students are invited to contact the teacher promptly. The examination procedures for students with disabilities and/or with DSA must be established with the teacher, in agreement with the competent Office.
L-LIN/08 - PORTUGUESE AND BRAZILIAN LITERATURE - University credits: 9
Lessons: 60 hours
Professor:
Russo Vincenzo
Professor(s)