Queer Africa: New Directions in Art, Film, and Literature

This special issue of The Thinker sets out to examine the rapidly expanding field of queer artistic production in Africa. The special issue aims to shine light on the rich and dynamic cultural production that explores and subverts conventional narratives and adds to the continuing conversation about queer representation and visibility by highlighting the various ways queer identities are portrayed across the continent. The goal of this special issue is thus to showcase the various ways that African queer voices are redefining and shaping the cultural landscape by looking at how queerness intersects with and is expressed in art, film, and literature.

We are inviting submissions of articles that explore a variety of subjects, such as queer identities and experiences, representational politics, activism and social change, and the value of literary and artistic genres in fostering debate. To provide thorough examinations of the complexity and nuances of queer expression in Africa, contributors are encouraged to draw on interdisciplinary perspectives, including art history, film studies, literary criticism, cultural studies, and queer theory, among others.

We seek articles that engage with various aspects of the topic, including, but not limited to:
-cultural texts that challenge normative understandings of gender, sexuality, and identity,
-the complex and transformative ways in which queer identities are represented, negotiated, and celebrated in Africa,
-the role of queer art in reclaiming space, and the negotiation of queerness within local contexts,
-the intersections of queerness with other forms of identity, marginalisation and resistance,
-the challenges of and contestations inherent within using queer theory in African contexts

In exploring new directions in queer art, film, and literature, this special issue invites scholars to critically engage with the complex ways in which queer identities are represented, negotiated, and celebrated in Africa. By highlighting the contributions of African queer voices to global conversations on art, film, and literature, this special issue aims to inspire further research, collaboration, and appreciation of the vibrant and diverse queer cultural work emerging from the continent. The editors of the special issue are especially interested in analyses of cultural texts that have appeared over the past decade.

This special issue is being edited by Dr Gibson Ncube (Stellenbosch University, gncube@sun.ac.za) and Prof Andy Carolin (University of Johannesburg, andyc@uj.ac.za). Contributors are invited to send articles of between 5000 and 6000 words to both guest editors before 30 June 2024. All submissions will undergo double blind peer review. This special issue of The Thinker will be published early in 2025.