This course examines literary and cultural texts composed in a variety of genres (oral narratives, poetry, short stories, novels and visual texts) from different geographic and cultural areas of Africa. Readings from languages other than English will be in translation. Through a comparative and intercultural approach, the students will read, analyze, and write about these texts from the viewpoint of race, gender, class and socio-political identities. This course will also assist the students to develop an understanding of the influence of oral storytelling traditions, arts and classical literary traditions as well as modern cultures on contemporary literary productions of Africa.