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79355-01 - Lecture: Postcolonial Writing Back: Literature and Resistance (2 CP)
| Semester | fall semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Irregular |
| Lecturers | Ana Sobral (ana.sobral@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | How do authors from formerly colonised regions ‘respond’ to the colonial histories and mythologies that once shaped them? This lecture explores the dynamics of postcolonial literatures that reinterpret and challenge the cultural legacy of the European colonial powers. Through novels, plays, poems, essays and theoretical works, we will examine how authors reclaim narrative authority, subvert colonial representations and construct new identities and visions of the future. We will read texts from various regions – including Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and Indigenous Australia – with a focus, but not exclusively centred, on English-language texts. Throughout the semester, we will combine canonical works (such as "The Tempest" or "Jane Eyre") with postcolonial reinterpretations that expose their colonial foundations. We will also engage with key theoretical perspectives from thinkers such as Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak and Ngugia Wa Thiong’o to understand how literature becomes a site of cultural resistance. |
| Learning objectives | By the end of the lecture, students will have a deeper understanding of how literature contributes to decolonisation, how narrative power operates, and how marginalised voices reshape cultural memory. No prior knowledge of postcolonial studies is required – just curiosity, an open mind and a willingness to explore literature across cultures and languages. |
| Bibliography | All relevant bibliography will be made available on ADAM. |
| Weblink | ADAM |
| Admission requirements | None |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | Online, mandatory |
| Course auditors welcome |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Thursday | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
Dates
| Date | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 17.09.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 24.09.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 01.10.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 08.10.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 15.10.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 22.10.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 29.10.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 05.11.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 12.11.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 19.11.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 26.11.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 03.12.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 10.12.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Thursday 17.12.2026 | 12.15-14.00 | Kollegienhaus, Hörsaal 102 |
| Modules |
Modul: Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Master's degree subject: English) Modul: Literaturgeschichte (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Modul: Literaturtheorie (Master's degree program: Literary Studies) Module: Advanced Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Module: Fields: Media and Imagination (Master's degree program: African Studies) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: English) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Ancient Civilizations) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature (Start of studies before 01.08.2026)) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree program: Ancient Civilizations) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies BA (Bachelor's Studies - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Slavic Studies) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: English) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: German Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: French Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Spanish Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Italian Language and Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: German Literature) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Latin Philology) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's degree subject: Nordic Philology) Module: Interphilology: Literary and Cultural Studies MA (Master's Studies - Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) Module: Introduction to Anglophone Literary and Cultural Studies (Bachelor's degree subject: English) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | Written exam (90 min) |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
| Repeat examination | one repetition, repetition counts |
| Scale | Pass / Fail |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Fachbereich Englische Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft |