One of the greatest living authorities on Swahili literature, Dr. Farouk Topan to be honored in a special conference

A pride of the community and a prominent scholar on Swahili literature. A special conference is taking place to honor Dr. Farouk Topan.

BARAZA: Swahili studies conference at SOAS – Date: 27 October 2018Time: 10:00 AM – Paul Webley Wing (Senate House) Room: Wolfson Lecture Theatre

Call for Papers

Abstracts are invited for short presentations at our fourth annual day conference addressing any aspect of the language, literature, translation, culture, philosophy or diaspora of the Swahili speaking peoples of the world. The aim of the meeting is to foster academic interaction and exchange about new or emerging research, developing ideas and interests for mutual benefit among Swahili scholars and students.

This year’s Baraza is dedicated to Dr Farouk Topan, leading Swahili scholar and writer who, with others, pioneered the study and teaching of Swahili Literature in Kiswahili at the University of Dar-es-Salaam and the University of Nairobi in the 1960s and 70s. He then taught at SOAS for many years until his retirement in 2006, and was one of the founder editors of the departmental Journal of African Cultural Studies (JACS). In more recent years, he has continued to provide leadership in Swahili studies at the Aga Khan University. Although we welcome all papers or presentations, this year we are actively soliciting academic papers, oral performance, and other ways of reflecting on the life, writing and scholarship of this outstanding scholar, whose career has exemplified many trends in the development of scholarship, institutional histories and transnational connections. Former students and colleagues are particularly encouraged to pay tribute to this great East African scholar.

More details at the source: https://www.soas.ac.uk/cas/events/27oct2018-baraza-swahili-studies-conference-at-soas.html