Amazigh Orality in Contemporary Production

Orality, that is, the culture of the spoken word, is a central feature of Amazigh everyday life, history, and linguistics, and communal knowledge. Indeed, although Imazighen have one of the oldest writing systems in North Africa, known as Tifinagh, the latter is not associated with a body of written literature, an Amazigh literary canon. On the other hand, the Amazigh peoples have an extensive and rich oral literature that includes poetry, myths, fables, songs, proverbs, sacred rituals, and tales, which are excluded from a simple textualist notion of culture and communal identity. 

Orality, then, remains the main factor in the preservation and transmission of Amazighity, as the language and culture is passed on and transformed orally from one generation to another, thus creating a bridge between the past and the present. Again, as an oral culture Amazighity is reproduced on a daily basis, first, in the everyday use of the language and also in the transmission and creation of oral literature in a broad sense encompassing music, poetry and narrative.  

In the context of modern technology and an increased dependence upon cyberspace, a hybridized mode of communication that combines both written and oral features has emerged. As a result, many aspects of Amazigh oral culture, which, prior, found no place in literary circles and other environment have now fully emerged in a new digital space. Paradoxically, a post-modern system and context has allowed a pre-modern and non-textual Amazigh culture, individuals, and groups to create new discourses and contexts.

It is within this new global and digital context that the Journal of Amazigh Studies (JAS) devotes its second issue to the theme of orality and Amazighity. Regarding the latter term JAS will engage the whole sweep of Amazigh orality, with issues and examples drawn from (oral) literature, social media, films, music, and then, literacy in general. To this end, we call upon contributors for interpretive essays, material research, and all scholarly work which examines, analyzes, and evaluates Amazigh orality with regard to the topics listed below. JAS is trilingual (French, English, and Tamazight).

The proposed sub-themes for this special issue are: 

Orality and the transmission and preservation of culture

(Social) media and transnational Amazighity 

Amazigh language in film and video production 

Amazigh digital orality (social media platforms, emails, texting, forums, blogs, etc.) 

Amazigh oral literature

Amazigh women and oral literature today

Amazigh women and social media

Recovering, transmitting, and producing Amazigh ecological knowledge through social media

Literacy and new literacy 

Amazigh orality and mythology

Decolonizing Amazigh orality   

Submissions are made via JAS email: journalofamazighstudies@gmail.com

The deadline for all proposals is February 28th, 2023. 

Full articles are expected by June 30th, 2023.

Submitted manuscripts must not be previously published nor should they be under consideration or publication anywhere else while under review for this journal.