About G.Oyonombia
We invite chapter proposals for a bilingual edited volume on Guillaume Oyono Mbia (1939-2021), one of the founding fathers of contemporary Cameroonian drama, whose influence on the African literary landscape is profound and far-reaching.
Oyono-Mbia belongs to the "first generation of African dramatists who demonstrably embodied the innovative robustness of the modernist spirit" (Okoye, 2015). Though he is mostly known for his famous play Three Suitors… One Husband, the Cameroonian writer authored several (radio and stage) plays and three volumes of short stories about life in Mvoutessi, his native village. In April 2023, his last play, Les choses vont changer! Suivi de Le discours was published posthumously.
Oyono-Mbia was a dramatist, a stage director, and a storyteller. His ability to translate his work in English or French earned him a wide audience at home and abroad. Furthermore, although his stories are primarily rooted in the Cameroonian (and African) experience, the topics he explores call for a transcultural and transnational reading and interpretation of his literary production.
We invite proposals for chapters in English or French on topic including, but not limited to:
· Guillaume Oyono Mbia: writer and translator
· Drama and political / socio-cultural activism
· Satire and humor
· Music on stage
· Short-story and/vs. drama
· Culture(s) and Tradition(s)
· Westernization
· Freedom & Education
· Gender Boundaries
· Writing in several languages
· Teaching Oyono-Mbia's plays
Submit abstracts of 250-350 words and a short bio (150-200words) to Michele Kenfack and Sandra Mefoude-Obiono at G.oyonombia@gmail.com by December 15, 2023.