When Moyọ Alabi, a U2 student in Honours English and Philosophy and President of the Department of English Students Association, was reviewing which courses to register for this academic year, she noticed that there were currently no courses on African literature being offered at 91˿Ƶ.
“In the past, [the late] Professor Monica Popescu taught courses in African literature within the English department, but after her passing those courses have not been consistently offered,” says Moyọ. “Reading through her course descriptions and syllabi, it was clear how thoughtfully she engaged with literary traditions from across the continent, and seeing that made the absence of those courses more visible to me as a student interested in these literatures.”
Identifying both the need and interest for an additional space in which students could engage with regionally specific African and diasporic literary traditions led the Department of English Students Association (DESA) to organize the
“I am especially grateful to Dr. Amber Rose Johnson, who is helping facilitate a student seminar in advance of the lecture and will be moderating a dialogue with the speaker during the event,” says Moyọ. “Dr. Johnson has been an invaluable advisor throughout the process, and we deeply appreciate the time and care she has dedicated to supporting this initiative.”
Professor Eli MacLaren, Chair of the Department of English, helped make the event possible thanks to departmental support and funding.
The lecture series will take place over two days, beginning with a preparatory seminar led by Dr. Johnson, in which students will read selected poems and watch spoken word performances of the lecture series’ first guest speaker, the Nigerian poet, playwright and performer , and discuss and reflect on her works’ themes of memory, diaspora and storytelling.
Moyọ, who first encountered Sonuga’s work through recordings of her spoken word performances online, was immediately struck by how Sonuga’s poetry bridges the page and performance.
“As a Nigerian poet now working within the diaspora in Canada, her writing resonated with me personally and reflects the kinds of African and diasporic voices we hope to highlight through this series,” says Moyọ.
Storytelling and its shared human experience
Sonuga’s accompanying lecture, titled, “The Crossing: Womanhood, Inheritance, and Poetic Memory” draws upon Yoruba narrative traditions and will explore storytelling as a kind of living archive that considers how cultural knowledge is preserved and transmitted through repetition, improvisation and the spoken word.
“In Yoruba culture, storytelling has long been central to preserving memory, as well as moral values and philosophies across generations,” says Moyọ. “Historically, oral narratives have been used to transmit our traditions, which made this form an essential cultural practice. In contemporary contexts—where globalization and loss of Indigenous languages can threaten these traditions—writers and performers like Sonuga play an integral role in revitalizing storytelling as a living cultural form.”
The lecture series' main purpose is to create opportunities for dialogue and deeper understanding across cultures and generations.
“These narratives continue to shape how communities remember their past and envision their future,” adds Moyọ. “People naturally desire connection and meaning, and storytelling can be one of those mediums that reminds us of our shared human experience and further connects us all.”
DESA hopes that the series will soon become an annual or biennial event within the department, with each installment focusing on a different country or region of the African continent.
“It is important that students have continued opportunities to directly engage with contemporary writers and their work,” says Moyọ. “I believe that events like this can help strengthen connections between students, faculty, and the broader literary and artistic community as we are all students of our craft and learn with and from one another.”
Furthermore, Moyọ hopes that the lecture series will expand awareness of African and diasporic literary traditions within the 91˿Ƶ community.
“In the Western media, there is a common misconception that Africa is a homogenous entity, when in reality it is a continent with 54 countries and over 3,000 tribes, each with its own culture, language, and history,” says Moyọ. “Ultimately, the goal is to contribute to broader conversations about representation in literary studies and to demonstrate that students are eager to engage with literary traditions beyond a predominantly Eurocentric lens.”
The seminar will take place on March 12 from 5:30-7:00 PM and is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Interested students must register for the seminar .
Titilope Sonuga’s public lecture will take place on Thursday, March 19, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in Leacock 232. The lecture evening will include the keynote talk, a moderate small panel dialogue, a Q&A session, and will conclude with a reception of light refreshments. .