Questions about how social conditioning and historical circumstances influence assumptions about who we are and how others perceive who we are have attracted wide ranging discussion across the disciplines in the arts, humanities and allied sciences. Simultaneously, since the Independence period, scholars have deliberated over the varied implications of new states emerging throughout Africa. The peer-reviewed selected papers for this anthology represent a cross section of the diverse perspectives reflecting research and cross-disciplinary collaborations undertaken by members of the University...

This compilation was inspired by an international symposium held on the Legon campus over three days in September 2003. Hosted by the CODESRIA African Humanities Institute Programme, the symposium had the broad theme Canonical Works and Continuing Innovation in African Arts & Humanities. In these two volumes of 85 papers there are contributions from established scholars such as Mahmood Mamdani, Peter Ekeh and Kwame Ninsin which sit alongside contributions from well-known literary scholars including Niyi Osundare, Femi Osofisan and Ngugi wa Thiongo. Also included in the volume are classic...