The Other Hybrid Archipelago: Introduction to the Literatures and Cultures of the Francophone Indian Ocean [Paperback]

The Other Hybrid Archipelagopresents the postcolonial literatures of the Francophone Indian Ocean islands to an Anglophone audience. The islands of Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, the Comoros, and the Seychelles form a region that has a particular cultural identity because of the varied mixture of populations that have settled there and the dominant influence of French colonialism. This survey concentrates on the period since the Second World War, when most of the islands achieved independence, except for Reunion and Mayotte, which maintain a regional status within the French Republic. The postcolonial approach suggests certain recurrent themes and preoccupations of the islands' cultures and an appropriate way to define their recent cultural production, while taking account of the burden of their colonial past. The rich cocktail of cultural and linguistic influences surveyed is situated in relation to the contemporary political and social context of the islands and their marginal status within the global economy.Peter Hawkinsis senior research fellow in the Department of French, University of Bristol.

Scholars and newcomers to this body of work will appreciate Hawkins's pedagogical approach....The anglophone community will discover inThe Other Hybrid Archipelagoa welcome introductory work and an important resource for future scholarly endeavors. Research in African Literatures

His discourse is informative. Marie-Agnes Sourieau,The French Review

The cultures of the Indian Ocean have rarely attracted the attention they urgently merit in postcolonial criticism. In this timely volume, Peter Hawkins offers a welcome introduction to the 'Francophone' literature and music of the region. He reflects on the historical and political complexity of these diverse islands, suggesting pertinent comparisons with other areas of cultural hybridization such as the Caribbean.The Other Hybrid Archipelagois essential readinlS%