The Literary History of the Sahel

Abstract This chapter examines the singular relation between literature and politics as developed in the Sahel, and traces the specific literary configurations and cultural developments that derived from this relationship. In the wake of decolonization, and perhaps in contrast to other regions of the continent, the literary has dominated the cultural and political milieus of the Sahel, determined the political orientations of the newly emancipated territories at independence, and defined their cultural and social evolution. This relation to the literary has translated into the multiplication of solid literary networks, noticeable literary affinities and communities, and stimulated distinctive literary practices with the ambition of creating spaces in which literary dynamics and practices served social and political developments.