'Introduction' to Webdossier on African-Authored Travel Writing

Citation

Ni Loingsigh A (2022) 'Introduction' to Webdossier on African-Authored Travel Writing [African-Authored Travel Writing]. Leiden University African Studies Centre — Webdossiers (1) [Website] 03.03.2022. https://www.ascleiden.nl/content/webdossiers/african-authored-travel-writing

Abstract
First paragraph: When, in 1928, the French literary historian Roland Lebel claimed that examples of African travel writing in French were ‘quite understandably’ (p.159) negligible, he based his argument on three facts: First, exploration of what Lebel implied was the unknown interior of the African continent was, in his view, not the affair of the people who lived there, not least because — and this was his second argument — their travel practices differed from those of Europeans. Thirdly, in terms of the textualization of travel, Lebel suggested that his explanation for the absence of relevant examples by African authors was supported by researching the different non-fictional text types he identifies as travel writing, such as travelogues, reports, and memoirs.

Keywords
Travel Writing History