From Orality to Ghostliness: Self-Translating the Haunted Self in African Literature

In this study, I examine the challenges faced by Francophone African literary authors, such as Olympe Bhêly-Quénum, in self-translating the haunted, oral “self” into colonial languages. Like most African literary writers, Olympe Bhêly-Quénum enriches his works with African elements that describe his sociocultural background.

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Cross-Cultural Communication: Translational Context of African Tonal Languages in the West

15th Annual Meeting of the Southeast African Language and Literature Forum (SEALLF) at East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN. OCT 29-31 2025.

In the current study, I investigate the obstacles inherent in translating African tonal languages, focusing on the Beninese Fon, into French. The Fon tonal system, made up of diacritical marks and tonal spelling, complicates the realization of an equitable translation and effective cultural mediation.

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ON TRANSLATING FRANCOPHONE AFRICAN AUTHORIAL STYLE IN PROSE: HOW TRANSLATORS’ CHOICES AFFECT ENGLISH AUDIENCES

This conference presentation is an adaptation of my M.A. Thesis, 2025.

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