The Department of English Literary Studies and the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town are delighted to announce the launch of the African Literary Cities website:  https://africanliterarycities.uct.ac.za/

A collaborative project between A/ Prof. Polo Moji and Dr Laura Nkula-Wenz, a lecturer and researcher at the African Centre for Cities, African Literary Cities: Hubs, Maps and Literary Urban Ecologies research addresses the “absenting” of African literary cities in both globally authoritative cultural policy discourses and the emerging scholarly field of Literary Urban Studies.

Funded by the National Research Foundation (2023-2025), the project critically engages specific literatures and modes of cultural production that represent and/or shape contemporary African urban dynamics. The ALC website archives our public seminars and student activation at the Open Book Festival. You are welcome to explore our podcasts, and videos, as well forthcoming blog posts and public events.

We are particularly proud of the African Literary Cities live map, which was created through a collaboration with the Cities in Fiction project (India) and promotes citizen scholarship. We invite all members if the UCT community to contribution to this public archive, what will serve as resource for scholars, practitioners and members of the general public

Just click on our “SUBMIT YOUR CONTRIBUTION” link and get started!