An Introduction To The Literature Of Equatorial Guinea

"Examines how postcolonial literature depicts the clash of traditional and European cultures, reflects the impact of the Macias reafricanization process, and addresses the themes of individual and national identity, Hispanic heritage, and the Equatoguinean diaspora"--Provided by publisher.

This is the first book to interpret the African dimension of contemporary Hispanic literature. Equatorial Guinea, a former Spanish colony, is the only African country in which Spanish is an official language and which has a tradition of literature in Spanish. This is a study of the literature produced by the nation’s writers from 2007 to 2013. Since its independence in 1968, Equatorial Guinea has been ruled by dictators under whom ethnic differences have been exacerbated, poverty and violence have increased, and critical voices have been silenced. The result has been an exodus of intellectuals—including writers who express their national and exile experiences in their poems, plays, short stories, and novels. The writers discussed include Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel, Donato Ndongo-Bidyogo, and Guillermina Mekuy, among others.

Equatorial Guinea is a small country located in west central Africa, bordered by Cameroon to the north and Gabon to the south and east. The country consists of the mainland region which is the Río Muni, and the island region of Bioko, which is made up of the islands of Bioko and Annobón. The country has a small population of around 1.2 million people, with roughly the same number of people living on the mainland as on the islands. Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest countries in Africa in terms of both population and land area. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Africa, with over 50 different ethnic groups present. Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after Spanish colonization. Since then, the country has been ruled by one political party, the Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE). The country is one of the wealthiest in Africa, with a per capita GDP that ranks among the highest on the continent. This is largely due to oil reserves discovered in the 1990s, which make up the majority of the country's export earnings. Despite its wealth, Equatorial Guinea is also known for its human rights abuses and corruption, with the country frequently ranking poorly on global indices measuring these factors.

"Few of Africa's many new nations are as completely unknown in most circles, including those which are generally familiar with Africa, as Equatorial Guinea." So says Linger-Goumaz (economic geography, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), the principal international specialist for the last quarter century on this country which became independent from Spain in 1968, who provides this first general volume in English about the former Spanish Guinea. Before proceeding to entries from "Abaga Edjang, F." (a distance education professor) to "Zaragoza Group"(cross-referenced to "Obiang Nguema," president-dictator since 1979), the author provides an introduction to the country, a note on its place names, and a chronology of major events from its disputed discovery in 500 BC to its political turmoil in the 1990s. Includes an extensive, categorized bibliography. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR

After generations of being rendered virtually invisible by the US academy in critical anthologies and literary histories, writing by Latin Americans of African ancestry has become represented by a booming corpus of intellectual and critical investigation. This volume aims to provide an introduction to the literary worlds and perceptions of national culture and identity of authors from Spanish-America, Brazil, and uniquely, Equatorial Guinea, thus contextually connecting Africa to the history of Spanish colonization. The importance of Latin America literature to the discipline of African Diaspora studies is immeasurable, and this edited collection provides a ripe cultural context for critical comparative analysis among the vast geographies that encompass African and African Diaspora studies. Scholars in the area of African Diaspora Studies, Black Studies, Latin American Studies, and American literature will be able to utilize the eleven essays in this edition to enhance classroom instruction and further academic research.

This is a monograph of Equatorial Guinea, which consists of the island of Fernando Po and the continental territory of Rio Muni. It was a small but relatively prosperous Spanish colony up till 1968.