Literature and Religious Discourse in West Africa.

Abstract

Religion has always impacted on the production and content of literature. In West Africa, most discussions on literature revolve around writing that emerged from the colonial experience, and therefore, takes into account the presence and effect of Christianity on society. However, this privileging of a specific period has inhibited the study of the significant impact Islam has had on literary production in this region. By focusing on the dynamics between Islam and literature, the following examines the marginalization of the “other” cultural influences and experiences. It analyses factors that drive canon formation in West African literature and also critical reactions that determine the survival of literary texts.