Global South and Postcolonial Colloquium

Global South and Postcolonial Colloquium

A forum for scholars exploring questions of postcolonial thought with an emphasis on the Global South

In this colloquium we address the workings of postcolonial thought and, while we engage in readings of our times, we also explore paradigms that extend across periods and regions including (but not limited to) Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia and, more broadly, the Global South.

We believe postcolonial thought has had and continues to have vast historical and geographical roots and, as such, do not limit our engagement to certain areas of the world or specific historical periods. Instead, we stress putting elements that we believe have always been entangled with one another in critical dialogue through literature, theory, art, and wider humanistic inquiry. We grapple with the “post” in postcolonial and address questions of temporality and empire and their intersections with race, law and questions of diaspora.

We invite active participation from students and scholars from across the humanities, including but not limited to Comparative Literature, History, Art History and Archaeology, Anthropology, Latin American, Caribbean and African-American studies.

As a hub for interdisciplinary postcolonial thought housed in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, this colloquium will strengthen our community within the department and the university. We envision it as an intellectual space conducive to the sharing of scholarly work and the fostering of mentorship and collegiality across disciplines.

The format of this colloquium is as follows:

1. One formal, community-building activity each semester, including talks by invited speakers, presentations by advanced PhD students, shared readings between faculty and students, and student panels.

2. A social event at least once a semester, to build networks and create connections and community across departments.

3. A series of workshops each semester which involve student and senior faculty member participation. Primarily we will host dissertation chapter workshops and (based on interest and demand for professional development activities) meetings may cover oral exam lists, dissertation proposals, mock job-talks and feedback on works-in-progress.

To join our email list, please send a message to: Lindsey Potts Cienfuegos or Marie Hubbard.

Core Faculty Committee: Brent Hayes Edwards, Joey Slaughter and Jennifer Wenzel.