Contested Borders: Queer Politics and Cultural Translation in Contemporary Francophone Writing from the Maghreb

Contested Borders explores new representations of same-sex desire in new francophone life writing from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, highlighting how writers foreground translation and narrative reflexivity to index their crossings and negotiations of multiple languages, histories, and cultures. It argues that these writers are not merely mimicking the language of their former colonizer but inflecting a European language with vocabularies and turns of phrase indigenous to North Africa, creating new possibilities of meaning and expression to name their lived experience of gender and sexual otherness.

Format: Hardback
Length: 262 pages
Publication date: 22 June 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Contested Borders is a groundbreaking exploration of dissident sexualities in Africa, with a specific focus on the Maghreb region. This region has experienced unique historical, material, and ideological conditions that have shaped the emergence of gender/sexual politics. In contrast, sub-Saharan Africa has been the primary focus of much scholarship on African sexualities.

The book delves into the examination of new representations of same-sex desire that are emerging in new francophone life writing, memoir, and literature from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. These writers are engaging with long-established traditions related to gender and sexuality, while also being influenced by new forms of gender and sexual dissidence. This is due to the intersection of globally circulating discourses on queerness with the experiences of emigration and settlement by these writers in France.

The book employs a rich analytical approach to explore how these writers foreground translation and narrative reflexivity around incommensurable spaces of queerness. By writing in French, the authors argue that they are not simply mimicking the language of their former colonizer but rather inflecting a European language with vocabularies and turns of phrase indigenous to North Africa. This creative practice creates new possibilities of meaning and expression to name their lived experience of gender and sexual otherness, challenging established gender/sexual categories both within the Maghreb and in Europe.

Through its comprehensive analysis, Contested Borders contributes to a deeper understanding of dissident sexualities in Africa. It sheds light on the complex ways in which historical, cultural, and social factors interact to shape the experiences of individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ in the Maghreb. The book also highlights the importance of transnational and intercultural dialogue in shaping the narratives of gender and sexuality in the region.

In conclusion, Contested Borders is a vital contribution to the field of African Studies. It offers a fresh perspective on dissident sexualities in the Maghreb and challenges traditional narratives of gender and sexuality. Through its innovative approach to analysis and its engagement with the complexities of transnationalism and interculturalism, the book provides valuable insights into the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in the region.

Weight: 562g
Dimension: 226 x 162 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781786600813