The Centre for Studies in African Literatures and Cultures is housed at the Dept. of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Prof. C. L.
Courses Offered: At the Faculty of Arts, Jadavpur University, Kolkata
Four Extra departmental courses on the cultures of the African Diaspora, including North America, Latin America and the Carribbeans, entitled African Cultures across the World to Undergraduate students in the Arts Faculty. Number of faculty members: 2 + 5 Research Fellows
Coordinator:Prof. Ipsh*ta Chanda
Regular Activities:
11/03/2026
We are extremely delighted to share the event posters of Palaver XIX, titled "Jagged Hyphen": Africa and India and the Space In-Between, to be held on 12-13 March 2026.
Come one and all! Come, join the palaver!
13/02/2026
The deadline for abstract submission has been extended till 20th February 2026.
Come, join the Palaver!
20/01/2026
Palaver Alert!
The Centre for Studies in African Literatures and Cultures in collaboration with the Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University presents the CFP for Palaver XIX to be held on 12 - 13 March 2026.
Come, join the palaver!
This is to note that Shraman Paul was present in Palaver XVIII as a registered participant, not as a paper presenter. He was given a participant's certificate. CSALC do not recognize him as a paper presenter because he was not one.
This is in response to a post he has made on social media (post link in comment) about presenting a paper, along with the image of the certificate of participation and event posters of Palaver XVIII organised by CSALC, JU.
25/03/2025
You shed your days like second skin.
Black and blue slowly turning purple, then brown.
The night rises, the city light rises,
spilling gold over all your wounds.
You button your blouse,
but the city of your blood and flesh hums in your bones.
You drink to the rhythm,
to the slipping beats,
to the long-gone ghost of this city,
to the lover sold to distance.
The music runs through your fingers—
like history, like sand, like stolen time.
The glass in your palm, a mirror of your life—
black-brown-orange; all contained, all drowning.
You try to catch it,
but the more you squeeze, the more it cracks.
So you keep the glass.
You lean forward,
your head a stone in a river,
your body weary, but your rage awake.
You have carried centuries in your bones,
carved resistance into your bruises.
Tomorrow calls.
And there is music.
You know where.
Palaver XVIII 2025, Buddhadeva Bose Sabhaghar (UG Science Building, 3rd Floor), 26 March, 05:15 PM onwards.
24/03/2025
Dear all,
We are pleased to share the event posters and the programme schedule for Palaver XVIII, an International Conference titled 'Re-configurations: New Pathways, New Horizons', organised by Centre for Studies in African Literatures and Cultures, Jadavpur University, to be held on 25-26 March 2025.
This year, the keynote lecture will be delivered by Dr. Gourab Chattopadhyay. We have designed a plenary session focusing on the experience of translating African literatures into South Asian languages and another plenary commemorating the birth centenary of Frantz Fanon.
There will be two cultural performances by the students and the scholars of the Department of Comparative Literature, Jadavpur University— a theatrical performance on 25 March 2025 and a musical performance on 26 March 2025.
We are looking forward to your participation making the palaver more vibrant and joyous.
Come, join the palaver!
23/03/2025
Palaver XVIII
এবারের আঠেরো নম্বর পালাভারে ভাবীকালের কারবার। ভাবীকালের ততটাই, যতটা আজকের। গতকালের। রোজকার। আজ-কাল-পরশুর বৃত্তে ঘুরে চলা সুখ-দুঃখের, হাসি-কান্নার হলোগ্রাফিক মন্তাজ লক্ষ লক্ষ আলোকবর্ষ পাড়ি দিয়ে ধরা পড়েছে মাটির নীচে বসানো আমাদের গোপন রিসিভারে। আগামী ২৫শে মার্চ তারই একঝলক অপেক্ষা করছে আপনাদের জন্য।
T. L. Huchu-র "Igoli", Nnedi Okorafor-এর " Sunrise" ও Mazi Nwonwu-এর "Rainmaker" থেকে কিছু কিছু অংশ নিয়ে যাদবপুর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের তুসাবির ছাত্র-গবেষকদের যৌথ নিবেদন "মানুষ যন্তর বৃষ্টি মন্তর"। বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের বুদ্ধদেব বসু সভাঘরে, বিকেল ৫টায় পালা আরম্ভ। যেহেতু গোপন রিসিভারে পাওয়া তথ্যাদি নিয়ে কারবার, তাই শুরু হলে নাটক, দরজা আটক। আগ্রহীদের মধ্যে যাঁদের ব্যক্তিগত টাইমমেশিন নেই, তাঁদের সনির্বন্ধ অনুরোধ, ৫টার আগেই পৌঁছে যাবেন কিন্তু লঞ্চপ্যাডে। নাটক শুরুর পর এলে নিজ দায়িত্বে ব্যক্তিগত টাইমমেশিনে চড়ে ফিরে যেতে হবে নাটক শুরুর আগে, নইলে কিছুতেই জানা যাবে না কী ছিল দরজা খোলার মন্তর। সকলেরই তবে সাদর আমন্ত্রণ রইল! দেখা হোক তিন ভুবনের পারে!
17/03/2025
Come, join the Palaver!
24/02/2025
Palaver XVIII.
Submission date extended.
11/02/2025
The Centre for Studies in African Literatures and Cultures is extremely delighted to present the CFP for Palaver XVIII on ‘Re-configurations: New Pathways, New Horizons’ to be held on 25-26 March, 2025.
Last date of abstract submission is 25 February 2025. Send your abstracts soon!
For further queries, please write to [email protected].
Come, join the palaver!