The Politics of Time: Imagining African Becomings

Africa is becoming a major theater for the future of the planet, and is also emerging as a great laboratory for novel forms of social, economic, political, intellectual, cultural, and artistic life. In November 2017, the Ateliers de la pensée – Workshops of Thought – was held in Dakar, Senegal, with 50 African and diasporic intellectuals and artists participating. This volume discusses the concurrence and entanglement of multiple temporalities, the politics of life in the Anthropocene, the project of decolonization, and the preservation and transmission of different ways of knowing. It will be indispensable works for anyone interested in Africa and the new forms of critical thought emerging from Africa and the Global South.

Format: Hardback
Length: 308 pages
Publication date: 16 December 2022
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

As we traverse the third decade of the twenty-first century, the world is undergoing a profound historical transformation, with Africa and the Global South emerging as pivotal stages in shaping the future of our planet. This transformation is not limited to a mere geographical shift; rather, Africa is also emerging as a vibrant hub for novel social, economic, political, intellectual, cultural, and artistic life. These new forms of life, often arising in unexpected places, manifest in practices that draw deeply from collective memory while simultaneously embracing contemporary and even futuristic aspects.

In November 2017, the second session of the Ateliers de la pensée – Workshops of Thought – took place in Dakar, Senegal, bringing together fifty African and diasporic intellectuals and artists. Their discussions spanned a wide range of thematic lines, approached from various disciplinary perspectives. The outcome of this encounter is captured in the present volume. Among the topics explored were the interplay and entanglement of multiple temporalities, the politics of life in the Anthropocene era, the project of decolonization, and the preservation and transmission of diverse ways of knowing.

In the face of a world grappling with the specter of its own demise, the contributors to this volume raise an important question: Can we, by focusing on Africa as a starting point, explore alternative futures for not only Africa but for the world as a whole? The Politics of Time and its companion volume, To Write the Africa World, will serve as essential resources for anyone interested in Africa's past, present, and future, as well as the emerging forms of critical thought emanating from Africa and the Global South.

Weight: 612g
Dimension: 234 x 158 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509551095