Belgian colonialism was short-lived but left significant traces that are still felt in the twenty-first century. This book explores how the imperial past has lived on in Belgium, but also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. The contributing authors approach colonial legacies from an interdisciplinary perspective and examine how literature, politics, the arts, the press, cinema, museal practices, architecture, and language policies - but also justice and ethics - have been used to critically revisit this period of African and European history. Whilst engaging with significant figures such as Sammy Baloji, Chokri Ben Chikha, Alexis Kagame, Edmond Leplae, Joseph Ndwaniye, and Sony Labou Tansi, this book also analyses the role of places such as the AfricaMuseum, Bujumbura, Colwyn Bay, Kongolo, and the Virunga Park to appraise the links between memory and the development of a postcolonial present. Free ebook available at OAPEN Library, JSTOR, Project Muse, and Open Research Library Contributors: Sarah Arens (University of Liverpool), Robert Burroughs (Leeds Beckett), Bambi Ceuppens (AfricaMuseum), Matthias De Groof (University of Antwerp), Catherine Gilbert (University of Newcastle), Chantal Gishoma (University of Bayreuth), Hannah Grayson (University of Stirling), Donal Hassett (University of Cork), Sky Herington (University of Warwick), Nicki Hitchcott (University of St Andrews), Yvette Hutchison (University of Warwick), Albert Kasanda (Charles University, Prague), Maeline Le Lay (CNRS/ THALIM, Sorbonne nouvelle), Reuben Loffman (Queen Mary University of London), Caroline Williamson Sinalo (University of Cork)

About the Author
Pierre-Philippe Fraiture is a professor of French Studies at the University of Warwick.

Reviews

The strength of this book is to coordinate different points of view
around the question of the complex relationship between Empire and Postcolony.
The disciplinary plurality of the interventions in fact allows the reader to
range between anthropology and linguistics, literature and the arts, achieving
the aim of offering a complete picture of the complex issue. This volume will
constitute a reference point in the field of postcolonial studies related to
Central Africa.Silvia Riva, Universita degli Studi di Milano

Le recueil apporte une contribution importante et nuancee a la localisation academique du contact culturel entre la Belgique et "ses" anciennes colonies en Afrique. Le theme general du livre a gagne en importance et en attention, notamment grace au mouvement mondial Black Lives Matter et a ses repercussionsen Belgique, ce qui explique la grande pertinence sociale des questions traitees dans le recueil. L'approche adoptee par presque toutes les contributions, qui consiste a considerer les espaces de resonance ideels et materiels des relations belgo-africaines comme des zones de contact interculturelles et a explorer leur potentiel pour une comprehension plus inclusive, est particulierement convaincante. Ainsi, le recueil ne contribue pas seulement a la deconstruction des stereotypes coloniaux, mais offre egalement des points de depart pour l'etablissement durable de relations interculturelles.
Julien Bobineau, Francia-Recensio 2023/2, https://journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/frrec/article/view/96958

This collection reflects on Belgium's history of involvement in Central Africa to uncover postcolonial traces of that past. Although books on the cultural legacies of Belgian colonialism exist, few address 'the memory and memorialisation of this historical process across a whole region including the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Belgium' (p. 28; original emphasis). (...) The volume is interdisciplinary, with essays on history, literature, journalism, art, philology, architecture, and film, and it privileges critical voices from a younger generation, including from Central Africa. (...) Its cumulative bibliography is a welcome reference, and the historical context provided in several chapters makes the book accessible to those unfamiliar with the history of colonialism in Central Africa. - Matthew G Stanard, French Studies, knad188, https://doi.org/10.1093/fs/knad188

Der Sammelband leistet einen wichtigen und nuancierten Beitrag zur akademischen Verortung des Kulturkontaktes zwischen Belgien und >seinen< ehemaligen Kolonien in Afrika. Das ubergeordnete Thema des Buches hat nicht zuletzt auch durch die globale Black Lives Matters-Bewegung und ihre Auswirkungen in Belgien an Bedeutung und Aufmerksamkeit gewonnen, woraus die hohe gesellschaftliche Relevanz der verhandelten Fragestellungen im Sammelband resultiert. Besonders uberzeugend ist der nahezu alle Beitrage betreffende Ansatz, ideelle und materielle Resonanzraume der belgisch-afrikanischen Beziehungen als interkulturelle Kontaktzonen zu betrachten und ihr Potential fur eine inklusivere Verstandigung auszuloten. Damit tragt der Sammelband nicht nur zur Dekonstruktion kolonialer Stereotype bei, sondern bietet zudem Anknupfungspunkte fur die nachhaltige Etablierung interkultureller Kulturbeziehungen. Kritiker*innen des Bandes koennten anfuhren, dass eine thematisch konsistentere - und dadurch zusammenhangende - Schwerpunktsetzung der einzelnen Beitrage an mancher Stelle sinnvoll gewesen ware. Allerdings tragt gerade die disziplinare und thematische Breite dieses Sammelbandes und seine beinahe komparatistisch wirkende Struktur zu seiner hohen Qualitat und dem damit verbundenen Erkenntnisgewinn bei. - Julien Bobineau, Romanische Forschungen 136 (2024)

Book Information
ISBN 9789462703575
Author Pierre-Philippe Fraiture
Format Paperback
Page Count 426
Imprint Leuven University Press
Publisher Leuven University Press
Weight(grams) 660g