African Literature, Decolonization, and Indigenous Ecology

A rare ecocritical study of twentieth-century African literature, this book situates itself within emerging concepts of indigenous ecology and decoloniality.

The book envisages its readers as students, researchers, and scholars in African studies, environmental humanities, indigenous studies, and decolonial studies. Those interested in postcolonial literature and Global South studies will also find it valuable. The book will stir interest among readers across the humanities.Nearly all studies of twentieth-century African literature have focused on humans whereas the literature has in various ways depicted the role of natural beings in precolonial and colonial African communities. The book calls attention to the neglected natural beings. Drawing on theories of African literature, ecocriticism, and decoloniality, through writers such as Achille Mbembe, Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe, it forges a rich intersection between African natures, the anticolonial ideology of twentieth-century African letters, and resistance to the condition of coloniality in the present time. In doing so, the book repositions literary analysis within broader environmental and epistemic frameworks. It ultimately charts a planetary vision centred on indigenous knowledge and practices of Africa, offering timely insights as the world is confronted by the increasing destructive effects of the Anthropocene. By foregrounding relational modes of existence, it contributes to rethinking both literature and environmental futures in more just and sustainable ways.