Guest lectures

Artist Talk and Workshop by Sam Godfrey: Wet Glitches and Trans Ecologies as Methodology

November 11, 2024 | 10.00-12.00

Artist and doctoral researcher Sam Godfrey (Exeter University) will give a guest talk and practical workshop at the English Department on November 11, organized as part of the seminar "Oceanic Imaginaries: Thinking and Reading with Water."

In their talk, Sam Godfrey speaks about their practice-based research using sloppy craft techniques, abject materials, and digital underwater environments to explore the idea of 'creeping' as a trans creative research methodology and to reimagine the relationship between trans visual art, and the wider textile and trans studies fields. In their practice, they create immersive digital underwater environments and textile installations that one must 'creep into' and find ways to move through.

During the workshop part of this event, Sam Godfrey introduces the practice of deep listening using their sound compositions of water. Using different materials, together we will then respond to our listening experience in tactile representation.

Interested? Please register here: https://indico.uni-muenster.de/event/2984/

Hybrid Symposium: Comics, Popular Visual Culture & Colonialism

January 27, 2023 | 11:30-18:30

This day-long symposium aims to bring together academics, comic artists, students, and local community members to discuss how comics and other forms of popular visual culture are used to remember colonial histories, particularly in the German and Dutch contexts. Divided into two parts, the symposium will first address the colonial past in visual cultures more generally, with confirmed talks by Dr. Philipp Erdmann + Dominic Eickhoff (Münster) and Dr. Felicity Jensz (Münster). The focus will then move to the topic of postcolonial storytelling in contemporary comics with talks by PhD candidate Alicia Lambert (Louvain) and Dr. Britta Schilling (Utrecht) + Eeva Langeveld (Münster), as well as two roundtables with comic artists. The first roundtable will highlight comics in the German context and will focus on the topics of knowledge and didactics. The second will make space for reflecting on form and collaboration, particularly regarding comics in the Dutch context.

The symposium will be held from 11:30-18:30 on Friday, January 27, 2023 at the English Seminar (Johannisstraße 12-20) in Münster. All interested participants are welcome to join. Registration is required. To join in person, please send an email to comicssymposium@uni-muenster.de. To join via Zoom, please register here.

Human Rights Day Event: "Human Rights and Other Trifles"
A political revue by Hope Theatre Nairobi

Thursday, December 8th, 2022, 19.30
Studiobühne der Universität, Domplatz 23, Münster
Admission free

On December 10, 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations. According to Article 1, all human beings are "born free and equal in dignity and rights", and Article 2 prohibits all forms of discrimination. In the meantime, this document has been signed by almost every country in the world. And still we are far away from equality in the world. Age, disability, ethnic origin, gender, language, religion, political and ideological conviction, national or social origin, property or birth - there are many ways and reasons to discriminate against others.
In the political revue on the topic of "Human Rights", the actors of the Hope Theatre from Nairobi also speak from their own experiences. They know what looks on the street in Germany can mean, but they have also experienced the civil war in their own country and they know the attitude of the rich Kenyans towards the slum dwellers. They realize how difficult it is to be seen in Germany as actors and actresses and not as refugees or needy people, but they also know the applause of the enthusiastic audience.
With their performances, they seek contact and exchange with the audience. They would like to establish that the world is not seen globally only when it comes to economic advantages or political statements, but also when it comes to human values and responsibility.
The ensemble of Hope Theatre Nairobi also deals with political issues in an entertaining way, whereby the change of perspective and the examination of the issues also from the African side are an important part of the performance. Alternating between play scenes, songs, hip-hop, traditional dances and interactive encounters, the audience experiences a kaleidoscope of moods, perspectives, techniques and forms of performance. It is part of the principle of Kenyan life as well as of theater to spread joy, to communicate critically but with relish, and to connect.
The performance in German and English will be moderated in German. 

Conception, text and music by Winfred Akinyi, Stephan Bruckmeier, Margit Niederhuber, Judith Kunz, Monica Oduor, Thomas Unruh and Karin Wirnsberger.
A production of Kenya Art Projects e.V. and Hope Art Theatre Nairobi NGO in cooperation with the Office of the Ombud for Gender Equality of the Austrian Federal Chancellery, kikuna e.V. and the Ensemble of the Hope Theatre Nairobi.
Organizer: One World Forum Münster e.V., in cooperation with Volkshochschule Münster, Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V., Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) of the English Department & Exile Kulturkoordination e.V.

Lecture series "Black German Studies: Transatlantic Perspectives" Dec. 2022 - Feb. 2023

The lecture series “Black German Studies: Transatlantic Perspectives” responds to the question posed by Tiffany Florvil and Vanessa Plumly in their 2018 volume Rethinking Black German Studies: “Who and what do we engage with when we use the category of Black German Studies?” Co-organized by the Chair for German Literature, Comparative Literary Studies and Transatlantic Literary History and the Chair for English, Postcolonial and Media Studies in partnership with the Transatlantic Studies Network, the series seeks to offer space for exchange and reflection on the research field of Black German Studies and for engagement with scholars, authors/artists, and activists who contribute to this discourse. With a particular focus on transatlantic exchange, the lecture series consciously includes multiple, differently-located voices, drawing attention to scholarship from across the Atlantic that invigorates the study of Black German texts, as well as recognizing and centering the work that is being done in this area particularly by Black scholars, artists, and activists, located in Germany. In doing so, continuities between the transatlantic transfer that has been recognized, for example, in Audre Lorde’s impact in the Afro-German movement of the 1980s and the impact of Black US-American scholars in German Studies today are made apparent, as are the problematic implications of the tendency to look to the U.S. when it comes to discourses of Blackness in Germany. Such topics will be explored by several academic lectures, a film screening, a reading, and an evening dedicated to the poetry and transnational activism of May Ayim. In recognition of the continued potential for scholarship, discussions, and ethical practices emerging from Black German Studies to offer lessons and impulses for research and teaching beyond the emergent discipline, the lecture series makes space for these discussions at the University of Münster, inviting students, colleagues, and community members to take part.

Further information and updates can be found here.

Zeiten des Bewusstwerdens - Politische und soziale Auseinandersetzungen im Sudan
Lecture

1 JUN 2022 | 19:30 h (Zoom)
With Dr. Ishraga Mustafa Hamid and Omer Othman

Further information is available here.

Sudan: Kampf um politische und soziale Erneuerung
Lecture

6 APR 2022 | 19:00 h (Audi Max, English Department, Johannisstraße 12)
With Dr. Ishraga Mustafa Hamid and Omer Othman

With the fall of long-time dictator Omar al-Bashir in April 2019, the path to a free, democratic future seemed to open up for the people of Sudan. In this spirit of optimism, Sudanese author Dr. Ishraga Mustafa Hamid initiated the "Bread and Roses" literary scholarship. This gave young women in particular the opportunity to write down their experiences, reflect on them and pass them on. The motto was "Writing for Social Change".

In October 2021, the military staged a coup and is currently in control of the government. However, many Sudanese people continue to fight for the goal of political and social renewal. They protest in the streets, risking their lives. In this difficult situation, the writing project was completed as planned. Texts by more than 60 young authors are now available in print in Arabic. Themes include the 2019 revolution in Sudan, resistance to the military regime, experiences of violence and abuse, equality and the environment.

The association Afrikanische Perspektiven has accompanied the project from the beginning. Donations have supported female authors, writing workshops, as well as the publications. Now, texts from the literary scholarship will be presented and information about the situation in Sudan will be provided in two events: The first event will take place on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at 7 p.m. in the Audi Max of the English Seminar, Johannisstr. 12, Münster.

There, Dr. Ishraga Mustafa Hamid will report on the writing project. A selection of the texts translated into German will be read by the actress Sarah Giese. The literary scholar Omer Othman will moderate and provide information about recent events in Sudan. The event will also be broadcast online. The Zoom link is https://wwu.zoom.us/j/62561526105. The event will take place in German, there will also be a summary translation into Arabic online.

The second event will be online only, the date and Zoom access details to be announced.

The events of Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V. take place in cooperation with the English Seminar of the Uni Münster - Postcolonial Studies, the Volkshochschule and the Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V.. They are sponsored by the Cultural Office of the City of Münster and the Advisory Council for Municipal Development Cooperation.

Further information is available here.

„Dekolonisierung des Denkens“
lecture series (AUG 2021 - MAR 2022)

The lecture series is organized by Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V. and takes place in cooperation with Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS), Volkshochschule Münster, and Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V. , among others. It is supported by the Kulturamt (Stadt Münster) and the Peter Hammer Verein für Literatur und Dialog e.V. .

8 AUG 2021 | 12:00 h (Studiobühne der Universität)
Der gute Deutsche: Rudolf Manga Bell
Lecture by Christian Bommarius (publicist) in German

7 SEPT 2021 | 19:00 h (Zoom)
Dekolonisierung des Rechts
Lecture and discussion with Karina Theurer (European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)) in German

27 OCT 2021 | 19:00 h (Franz-Hitze-Haus) | 8€/ 4€
Die Macht der Bilder - Die Folgen der negativen Afrika-Darstellung
Lecture by Dr. M. Moustapha Diallo in German

4 NOV 2021 | 19:00 h (Zoom)
Gedichte auf Luganda
Lecture by Dr. Susan Nalugwa Kiguli (lyricist) in German

21 JAN 2022 | 19:00 h (Plenarsaal des LWL-Landeshauses)
Afrika-Berichterstattung in der "Tagesschau" von 1952–2018
Lecture by Dr. Fabian Sickenberger in German

8 FEB 2022 | 19:00 h (Studiobühne der Universität)
Pisten
Lecture by Penda Diouf and Gifty Wiafe in German and French
Followed by a talk with Dr. M. Moustapha Diallo

21 Mar 2022 | 19:00 h (Uni Münster Weiterbildung, Königsstr. 47, 48143 Münster)
Decolonize Yourself
Lecture with Ania Faas, Zandile Darko, and Dr. M. Moustapha Diallo

You can find further information on the lecture series and the individual talks listed below here.

Further events t.b.a.

"Sprache und Kolonialismus" (Language and Colonialism) lecture series (2 JUN - 23 JUN 2021)

The lecture series is organized by the Germanistisches Institut der Universität Münster & Kommission für Mundart- und Namenforschung Westfalens.
You can find more information on the lecture series and the individual talks listed below here.

2 JUN 2021 | 18:30h
Koloniale Mikrotoponyme: (Historische) Benennungspraktiken, (aktuelle) Umbenennungen
Lecture by Dr. Verena Ebert (Würzburg) in German

9 JUN 2021 | 18:30h
Die deutsche Sprache im postkolonialen Namibia
Lecture by Dr. Christian Zimmer (Freie Universität Berlin) in German

16 JUN 2021 | 18:30h
Unserdeutsch (Rabaul Creole German): Das linguistische Erbe der Hiltruper Missionare im Südwestpazifik
Lecture by Prof. Dr. Péter Maitz (Universität Bern) in German

23 JUN 2021 | 18:30h
Kolonialismus im Wörterbuch. Einblicke in die Arbeit der Dudenredaktion
Lecture by Dr. Laura Neuhaus (Dudenredaktion, Berlin) in German

"Contingent Belonging Un/bedingte Zugehörigkeit" lecture series (18 JAN–29 JAN 2021)

You can find more information on the lecture series and the individual talks listed below here.

18 JAN 2021 | 18:00 Uhr (s.t.)
"From the Other Side": Grenzregime im Blickfeld der Kunst
Lecture by Prof. Dr. Ursula Frohne ​(Uni Münster) in German

20 JAN 2021 | 18:15h
Hintergründe und Bedingungen räumlicher Mobilität: Positionen und Perspektiven der Migrationsforschung
Lecture by Prof. Dr. Jochen Oltmer (Uni Osnabrück) in German

21 JAN 2021 | 18:00h
“Illegal Alien” or “Refugee”: Border Crossings Into El Paso, Texas
​Lecture by Dr. Ina Batzke (Augsburg University)

26 JAN 2021 | 18:00h
Leben und Sterben mit der Grenze: Grenzregime, Migration und Identitäten in Mexiko und den USA im 20. Jahrhundert
Lecture by Prof. Dr. Silke Hensel (Uni Münster) in German

27 JAN 2021 | 18:00h
Refugees and the Right to Have Rights: From the Borders of Europe through Contingent Belonging in Münster
​Lecture by Dr. Jesper Reddig (Münster University)

29 JAN 2021 | 18:00h
The Cemetery of the Companionless: Towards a World Literature of Undocumented Lives in Elif Shafak’s 10 Minutes, 38 Seconds in this Strange World
​Lecture by Prof. Dr. Mita Banerjee (Mainz University)

African Perspectives

You can find the information about the upcoming events, organized in collaboration with Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V. here.

Sudan - Endless power struggles? Lecture and Discussion with Omer Othman
Thursday, 5 Dec. 2024, 19.00 | Forum der Volkshochschule, Aegidiimarkt 2, 48143 Münster

Sudan - the country in north-east Africa is considered one of the cradles of human civilization: traces of the oldest settlements date back to the Palaeolithic period, its history has been recorded in writing since the Pharaonic era and treasures from the past have adorned European museums since the colonial era. For example, the bracelet of Queen Amanishakheto, who reigned in the 1st century BC, can be found in Berlin today.

Sudan is currently the scene of one of the greatest catastrophes: in 2011, the civil war that lasted over 50 years ended with the country splitting into two states, Sudan and South Sudan. With their peaceful revolution in 2018/2019, the Sudanese people succeeded in ending the thirty-year dictatorship of Omar Al-Bashir. However, hopes of lasting democratic change were dashed by the military coup against the civilian transitional government in October 2021. Since April 2023, war has been raging between the army under General Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces under Lieutenant General Dagalo. The civilian population is suffering. Around 12 million people are on the run at home and abroad. Three quarters of the approximately 42 million Sudanese are threatened by hunger.

In his lecture, Sudanese literary scholar Omer Othman explores the background to these conflicts, sheds light on the political situation, the democracy movement and the human rights situation. He also examines the question of what Germany and Europe (should) do in this conflict.

DATE
Thursday, 5 Dec. 2024, 19.00
Forum der Volkshochschule Münster, Aegidiimarkt 2, 48143

ADMISSION
Free of charge, a donation is requested.

COOPERATION and SUPPORT
Volkshochschule Münster, Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V. and Advisory Board for Municipal Development Cooperation of the City of Münster

Katima: Reading and Conversation with Sylvia Schlettwein
Tuesday, 12 Nov. 2024, 19.00 | Stadtbücherei Münster, Alter Steinweg 11, 48143 Münster

In her short story collection ‘Katima’, Namibian author Sylvia Schlettwein recalls her childhood in Katima-Mulilo in what was then known as the Caprivi Strip* in north-east Namibia. In 16 stories, she provides insights into everyday life in Namibia before independence in 1990, when Namibia was still called South West Africa and apartheid still prevailed. Her family joined the South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) early on in the fight for Namibian independence. ‘Katima’ is a literary journey through time to the north-east of Namibia in the 1980s and a declaration of love to the country and the people of Namibia. 

The short story collection was published in German in 2021 by Palmato Publishing, Wedel and in English in 2023 by Kuiseb Publishers, Windhoek. 

Sylvia Schlettwein will read from her stories. Sigrid Köhler will be in conversation with her.

Sylvia Schlettwein grew up in South Africa and Namibia. She is a lecturer in German Studies at the University of Namibia. She has also been committed to literature in Namibia for many years and is known as a writer, translator, editor and moderator in addition to her full-time teaching activities. She writes, translates and edits in German, English and Afrikaans.

Sigrid G. Köhler has been a professor at the German Department at the University of Tübingen since 2018. Her work and research specialisations include ‘Law and Literature’, ‘Postcolonial and Critical Race Studies’. She maintains collaborations with universities in Namibia, South Africa and Togo.

* The name of the area goes back to the German Chancellor Caprivi (1890-1894), who negotiated the ‘Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty’.

DATE
Tuesday, 12 November 2024, 19.00
Stadtbücherei Münster, Alter Steinweg 11, 48143 Münster

Entrance is free, a donation is requested.

COOPERATION and SUPPORT
Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) at the English Department of the University of Münster, Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V., Cultural Office of the City of Münster, Sparkasse Münsterland Ost.

The Continent of Everything and Almost Nothing: Reading and Conversation with Sami Tchak
Friday, 15 Nov. 2024, 19.00 | SpecOps, Aegidiimarkt 5, 48143 Münster

Africa is the continent of everything and almost nothing. Influenced by his reading of the French ethnologist Georges Balandier, Maurice Boyer travelled to Togo in 1970 to explore the life of the Tem in the village of Tédi. He encounters everyday life in the village as well as the inscrutable village chief, his beautiful favourite woman and the mysterious imam. Did he really understand the village in the end? Even in his old age, he is still preoccupied with this question and in many encounters in the novel, positions on the continent clash.

In his novel ‘The Continent of Everything and Almost Nothing’, which has been widely discussed in France, Sami Tchak, who comes from Togo, looks at his village with humour and criticism, but also at current discourses on Africa. When he chooses the figure of the white French researcher of Africa, the question once again arises as to who is in charge of interpreting the continent.

The novel ‘The Continent of Everything and Almost Nothing’ was published by Noack & Block in May 2024.

The interview with Sami Tchak will be conducted and translated by Annette Bühler-Dietrich. Excerpts from the novel will be read by narrator Carsten Bender.

Sami Tchak, born in Togo in 1960, has lived in France since 1986. He became known in Europe for his novel ‘Place des fêtes’ (2001; Ger. ‘Scheiß Leben’, 2004), which is dedicated to the issue of immigration in France. He was awarded the Prix Ivoire in 2022 for his novel ‘Le continent du Tout et du presque Rien’ (2021; tr. The continent of everything and almost nothing, 2024).

DATE
Friday, 15 November 2024, 19:00
SpecOps, Aegidiimarkt 5, 48143 Münster

Admission is free of charge, a donation is requested.

FURTHER INFORMATION
https://afrikanische-perspektiven.de

COOPERATION and SUPPORT
Romance Department of the University of Münster, Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) at the English Department of the University of Münster, Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V., Cultural Office of the City of Münster, Sparkasse Münsterland Ost.

The Struggle for Democracy in Senegal and the Lessons for Europe: Lecture and Conversation with Dr. Moustapha Diallo
Monday, 4 Nov. 2024 | Forum der Volkshochschule, Aegidiimarkt 2, 48143 Münster

Under President Macky Sall, democracy and the rule of law have suffered a dramatic setback in Senegal. Between 2021 and March 2024, the government ruthlessly cracked down on the movement that had been demanding the fulfillment of promises made since official independence in 1960: a democratic and socially just society, free from corruption and neo-colonial dependence. Many young people fell victim to the brutal repression. With the votes of young voters, the opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye won a clear victory in the presidential elections in March. In Germany, this is only marginally noticed. Senegal is attracting a great deal of interest here because of its gas reserves. However, due to mismanagement and dictatorial conditions, it has also become a hotspot for irregular migration to Europe.

Senegalese-born Dr. Moustapha Diallo will speak about these developments and their significance for relations with Europe. For him, the lessons for Europe include the following:

- Do not lecture African countries, but support democratic movements.
- Recognize and eliminate contradictions in European policy: Agreements are made with authoritarian governments such as in Rwanda or Tunisia, while at the same time leaders such as in Mali or Niger, who work in the interests of their people, are rejected.
- Learning to understand the renewal process in Africa and supporting autonomy efforts.
- Compared to Europe, the political commitment of young and old in Senegal is very high. It may be possible to derive approaches from this as to how engagement can be promoted in Europe.

The lecture will be followed by an opportunity for discussion.

Dr. Moustapha Diallo: literary scholar, author and translator. Studied in Senegal, Austria, Germany and France. Lecturer at the University of Paderborn for several years, research project at the University of Wuppertal and German teacher at vocational colleges. Publications: Interculturality, postcolonial studies, migration discourse. Editor of the book “Visionäre Afrikas” (Peter Hammer Verlag, Wuppertal 2014 / Kaddu Verlag 2022).

The event is part of this year's series organized by the Advisory Board for Municipal Development Cooperation of the City of Münster, whose motto is “Learning from the Global South”. The program of the entire series is published at https://www.stadt-muenster.de/

DATE
Monday, November 4, 2024, 7:00 p.m.
Forum of Volkshochschule, Aegidiimarkt 2, 48143 Münster

ADMISSION
Free of charge, a donation is requested. Donate here.

COOPERATION and SUPPORT
Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V., Volkshochschule Münster, Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V., Beirat für kommunale Entwicklungszusammenarbeit der Stadt Münster.

Reading and Conversation with Haji Jabir
Thursday, 12 Sep. 2024, 19.00 | Forum der VHS Münster, Aegidiimarkt 2

In his novel “Black Foam”, Haji Jabir tells the story of the Eritrean Dawoud, who wants to escape his past in politically turbulent times, across national borders in search of a new home and human belonging. In the process, he changes his name, his religion, his cultural affiliation several times - always in the hope of an end to his odyssey. The text was the first novel by an Eritrean author to be nominated for the International Prize for Arabic Fiction. The novel will be published in German in September by InterKontinental in Berlin. 

The conversation with the author will be conducted and translated (Arabic/German) by literary scholar Omer Othman. The narrator Thomas Schweins will read from the German version of the novel.

Haji Jabir was born in Massawa, Eritrea, in 1976 and fled to Eritrea with his parents during the Eritrean War of Independence. to Saudi Arabia with his parents during the Eritrean War of Independence. The multi-award-winning author writes in Arabic. In his novels, he deals with the past and present and the present of his home country and the Eritrean diaspora.

The reading is part of the program of the Africa Festival 2024 in Münster. 

DATE
Thursday, 12 Sep. 2024, 19.00
Forum der Volkshochschule, Aegidiimarkt 2, 48143 Münster

ENTRANCE
Free - a donation is requested.

COOPERATION AND FUNDING
Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V., Eritreischer Kulturverein im Münsterland e.V., Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) at the English Department of the University of Münster, Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V., Afrika Kooperative e.V., Arab-German Literature Circle ArDeLit.net, Peter Hammer Verein für Literatur und Dialog e.V., Cultural Office and Integration Council of the City of Münster.

Butter, Honig, Schwein, Brot: Reading and Conversation with Francesca Ekwuyasi
Wednesday, 26 Jun. 2024, 19.00 | Forum der VHS Münster, Aegidiimarkt 2, 48143 Münster

In her debut novel, Nigerian author Francesca Ekwuyasi tells the closely interwoven stories of twin sisters Kehinde and Taiye. Their mother Kambirinachi believes she was born an "Ogbanje", a creature that brings misfortune to the family according to Igbo mythology. She sees her fears confirmed when Kehinde is abused in the presence of her twin sister Taiye, who is paralysed with fear - both are still children. The family keeps quiet about the traumatic event and threatens to break apart. 

When she comes of age, Kehinde moves to Montreal and breaks off contact with her twin sister and her mother in order to build a new life. Taiye flees to London and tries to suppress her self-reproach and the loss of her relationships in a life of dissipation. After more than ten years of separation, Taiye and Kehinde return to their mother in Lagos. Here, the three women come to terms with the wounds of the past, a process that is accompanied by cooking and eating together. 

For Francesca Ekwuyasi, eating together is communication and an opportunity for reconciliation. The title of the novel "Butter Honey Pig Bread" refers to this. It will be published in June by InterKontinental, Berlin. After the reading in Münster, the author will present it at the African Book Festival in Berlin, which is taking place from 28 to 30 June as a Queer Edition: https://africanbookfestival.de.

The conversation with the author will be led by Rita Maricocchi, Julian Wacker will translate and Sarah Giese will read from the novel.  

Francesca Ekwuyasi, born in the Nigerian metropolis of Lagos, is a writer, artist and filmmaker. She lives in Halifax, Canada. The themes of her work are faith and morality, tradition and modernity or queerness and togetherness. "Butter Honey Pig Bread" is her first novel. It was awarded the Writers' Trust of Canada Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers. In 2021, the novel won second place in the "Canada Reads" competition organised by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Rita Maricocchi is a research associate and lecturer at the Department of English, Postcolonial Studies and Media Studies at the University of Münster. Her research interests include representations of German colonial history in English and German-language literature. 

Julian Wacker received his doctorate from the English Department at the University of Münster in 2022. He has published on queer Nigerian fiction and Afropolitan affiliations in Teju Cole's works.

Sarah Giese works as a performer and speaker for the Centre for Literature, ARD and ZDF, among others. She is a lecturer in speech at the Institute for Music at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, a speech and theatre trainer and play developer at Cactus Junges Theater and a member of the live radio play ensemble Theater ex libris.

Date and place: Wednesday, 26 June 2024, 19.00
Forum der Volkshochschule, Aegidiimarkt 2, 48143 Münster

Entrance fee: 8 € / red. 5 € (Box office)
Entrance is free for members of the Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V. association.

Cooperation and funding: Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V., Volkshochschule Münster, Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) of the English Department of the University of Münster, Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V., Peter Hammer Verein für Literatur und Dialog e.V., Cultural Office of Stadt Münster.

Queer Diasporic Forms: A Reading and Discussion with Poet Logan February
Tuesday, 30 Apr. 2024, 16.15 | ES 131, English Department, Uni Münster

Join us on April 30th for an event with Logan February, who will read from their newly published collection MENTAL VOODOO. The discussion will address themes of family, religion, queerness, and translation and ask how poetry can be a form for representing and creating intersections between queer and diasporic identities, histories, and experiences.

Logan February (b. 1999 in Anambra, Nigeria) is a multidisciplinary Nigerian poet living in Berlin. A 2024 Literature Fellow of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program, February has received other fellowships from the Cave Canem Foundation and Literarisches Colloquium Berlin, as well as the 2020 Future Awards Africa Prize for Literature. In 2023, their poetry collection MENTAL VOODOO was published in a bilingual English-German edition (translated by Christian Filips, with the collaboration of Peter Dietze, Verlag Urs Engeler, 2023).

Date: 30/04/2024
Time: 16:15
Location: English Dept., Johannisstr. 12-20, Room 131
Entry: Free

This event is organized by the Chair of English, Postcolonial & Media Studies at the English Department of the University of Münster in cooperation with Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V.

When Hope Is Your Home: Reading and Conversation with Stella Gaitano and Mubeen Khishany
Friday, 15 Mar. 2024, 18.00 | Stadtbücherei, Alter Steinweg 11, 48143 Münster

Writers Stella Gaitano and Mubeen Kishany, who were persecuted in their home countries, are currently part of the Writers-in-Exile program in Kamen. They will read from their texts in Arabic. The speaker Paula Berdrow will read the German translation. The conversation with Stella Gaitano and Mubeen Khishany will be conducted and translated by Sudanese literary scholar Omer Othman.

Stella Gaitano is a well-known South Sudanese writer and activist. Her works deal with the plight of displaced, refugee and marginalized women. Due to her political stance and activism, she was targeted by nationalist and tribalist circles after the split of Sudan, who called for her killing on social media. A selection of her short stories will be published in German in March under the title "Endlose Tage am Point Zero" by Edition Orient, Berlin.

Mubeen Khishany, Iraqi writer, journalist and artist, is co-founder of Maska Magazine for Iraqi poetry. He has been working as a freelance journalist for various newspapers since 2017. Khishany was involved in the Al-Basheer show, a critical satire program popular among young Iraqis for its comical denunciation of the country's ills. After receiving death threats, Khishany fled Iraq.

Admission is free, a donation is requested.

This event is organized by Stadtbücherei Münster and Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V. in cooperation with Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V., Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) at the English Department of the University of Münster and the Arabic-German literature circle ARDELIT.

Visionäre Afrikas: Reading and Conversation
Thursday, 24 Feb. 2024, 19.30 | Zukunfstwerkstatt Kreuzviertel, Schulstraße 45, Münster

Join us on the 24th of February, 2024 for an insightful evening at "Visionäre Afrikas"!

The event centres "Visionäre Afrikas," a collection of texts by forty African authors who narrate stories of African experiences, drawing rooted images of their continent, its diversity and vitality.

The editor and co-author, Dr. M. Moustapha Diallo, will delve into these narratives in conversation with Tatjana Niederberghaus. Sarah Giese will bring the words to life through readings, and the atmosphere will be complemented by the compositions of Ivory Coast's “Modern Songwriter” music ambassador, Urbain N'Dakon.

Do not miss this unique opportunity to interact, learn, and be inspired by these visionaries!

Date: 24/02/2024
Time: 19:30
Location: Zukunftswerkstatt Kreuzviertel, Schulstraße 45, Münster
Entry: Free

This event organized by Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V. in cooperation with the Eine-Welt-Forum Münster e.V. and Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) at the English Department of the University of Münster, funded by the Cultural Office and the Integration Council of the City of Münster.

Literary Encounters with Africa: Reading and Conversation with Yirgalem Fisseha Mibrahtu
Saturday, 28 Oct. 2023, 18.00 | VHS-Forum of Volkshochschule Münster, Aegidiimarkt 2, Münster

"I am alive" is the name of Yirgalem Fisseha Mebrahtu's collection of poems, which was published by Wunderhorn in April. Mebrahtu wrote the poems during and after her years of imprisonment in Eritrea. They are about justice, human rights and the longing for peace. In the fall, Mebrahtu's correspondence with Tanja Kinkel will be published by Akono-Verlag. In the personal and moving correspondence, the two writers share their experiences about writing in different worlds - one from Eritrea, the other from Germany.

On October 28, Yirgalem Fisseha Mebrahtu will present some of her texts in Tigrinya. The German translation will be read by Sarah Giese. The conversation with Mebrahtu will be moderated and translated by Mekonnen Mesghena. 

Noel Araya will accompany the event musically on the piano, followed by Eritrean food.

Yirgalem Fisseha Mebrahtu (*1981, Adi-Keh/Eritrea) is a writer and journalist. She has been living in Munich since 2018 and was a fellow of the PEN Germany Writers in Exile program. In 2019, she was awarded the Freedom of Speech and Expression Award by PEN Eritrea.

Mekonnen Mesghena studied journalism and history at the University of Dortmund. He heads the Migration and Diversity Unit at the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Berlin. Since June 2023, he has been a member of the German government's Expert*innenrat Antirassismus. He writes for domestic and international magazines, broadcasters and websites.

Admission is free, a donation is requested. Registration is preferred for the meal: info@afrikanische-perspektiven.de or via phone: 015772536608.

This event is organized by Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V., the Volkshochschule Münster, the Eritrean Cultural Association in Münsterland e.V., the One World Forum Münster e.V. and Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) at the English Department of the University of Münster, and is sponsored by the Environment and Development Foundation of NRW, and by the Cultural Office and the Integration Council of the City of Münster.

Reading Session with Fred Khumalo
Wednesday, 30 Aug. 2023, 19.00 | JO1, Johannistraße 4, Münster

Paris 1958, the waiter of an upscale restaurant is on trial, accused of murder, and remains silent. In his novel Dancing the Death Drill, Fred Khumalo therefore lets others tell: Of the First World War, of the recruitments of the British colonial power in South Africa, of the sinking of the troopship "SS Mendi" in the English Channel in 1917, of more than 600 dead, among them many Black soldiers who were to fight against the German Empire, of a man who saved himself by killing others, and of an observer of this moment. 

With his gripping story, Fred Khumalo also describes a historical event of the colonial era that is significant for South Africa. 

Fred Khumalo (*1966, South Africa) writes about socio-political and historical issues, identity and racism. The conversation with him is moderated and translated by Prof. Dr. Manfred Loimeier, the actor Casten Bender reads from the novel.

Entrance is free, a donation is requested.

This event is coordinated by Afrikanische Perspektiven e.V. and Postcolonial, Transnational and Transcultural Studies (PTTS) at the English Department of the University of Münster, and is sponsored by the NRW Environment and Development Foundation, the Cultural Office of the City of Münster and the One World Forum Münster e.V.

Readings

t.b.a.

CfPs & conferences

CfP: Plague as Metaphor (Special Issue of Open Cultural Studies)
Deadline: 30 April, 2023

CfP: Disruptive Imaginaries (Joint Annual Conference of the Science Fiction Research Association and the German Research Association for the Fantastic)
Deadline: 1 March, 2023
Conference: 15-19 August, 2023, TU Dresden

CfP: Cultures of Skin: Skin in Literature and Culture, Past, Present, Future (International Conference)
Deadline: 1 February, 2023
Conference: 7-8 July 2023, University of Surrey, UK

CfP: Postcolonial Infrastructure (Annual GAPS Conference)
Extended Deadline: 31 January 2023
Conference: 18-20 May 2023, University of Konstanz
Further information here.

CfP: Uncovering British Chinese Cultures (International Conference)
Deadline: 25 January 2023
Conference: 8-9 August 2023, TU Dresden

CfP: Envisioning Queer Black and Indigenous Self-Representations within the Digital Literary Sphere (Special Issue of AmLit)
Deadline (for full essays): 16 January, 2023

CfP: Decolonizing the Study of Memory (Special Issue)
Deadline: 10 January, 2023

Summer schools

Various universities and other academic organisations offer summer schools where students can explore a particular subject in a kind of block seminar format over one or several weeks during the semester break. This gives students the chance to study new topics not offered at their home universities, or to explore a familiar topic from a new angle, with different teachers and classmates in a different setting. Sometimes students can get credit points which are also accepted at their home university (preferably check beforehand).

Upcoming summer schools

Summer School: Tacet ad Libitum!

Towards a Poetics and Politics of Silence
24-29 JULY 2022

Silence (tacere or Schweigen) has been considered by Franz Rosenzweig among others as a subversive act or defiant stance of the tragic hero against overwhelming power mechanisms of necessity, i.e., totalization and universality. It has also, however, been regarded as an epiphenomenon (or a result) of marginalization and oppression by postcolonial theorists. The latters’ understanding marks silence as an end, a potential violent effect of the logics of exclusion and marginalization by “signifying machines”. The former understanding marks silence as a means of rendering mechanisms of powers inoperative. Therefore, the significance of silence appears to oscillate within an aporia of means and ends, singularity and universality, a-thesiology and thesiology, performance and logos. For the Münster Lectures and Summer School to be mutually complementary, we want to re-explore these known aporias from the perspective of silence as a concept which may occasion an ethics, poetics, and politics of “pure means” or violent ends. Can a logic of silence call for something more than resignation or defiance, complicity or conformity, and if so, how can the notion of silence be expanded into the realm of political action, or into new realms with new voices? The Summer School will be divided into three sections: Theory, Poetics and Politics. We do, however, foresee a continuous interaction between the three fields.

More information: silencemuenster.wordpress.com/

GAPS summer academy

A summer academy on anglophone postcolonial literatures and cultures is organized biannually by interested students under the auspices of the Association for Anglophone Postcolonial Studies (GAPS). The GAPS summer school offers students from all universities the opportunity to explore various different aspects of the New Literatures in English in a one-week 'package' of lectures, seminars and authors' readings. Creative writing workshops are also possible. Lecturers and authors come from various German and international locations. Each Summer School takes place in a different city.

Students can have their ASNEL summer school 'credits' accepted for thematically relevant components of any degree programme offered at Münster’s English department (e.g. Magister, Lehramt, B.A., M.A.of Education, M.A. National & Transnational Studies), and at any level (e.g. Proseminar, BA seminar, Hauptseminar - but not Kolloquium).
Details can be checked on the summer school website and should be discussed with one of your Münster lecturers (e.g. Prof. Mark Stein or Dr. Silke Stroh) in advance.

The most recent GAPS Summer Schools took place in Frankfurt in September 2017 ("Performing Postcolonialisms").