Please join us for CuSPP Seminar in person (ADH Conference room) and online on Thursday, 26 September from 1-2pm. Please refer to the CuSPP email or email Wesley.Lim@anu.edu.au for the link.

Image:

Déwé Gorodé in Melbourne, Australia in 1987. The text on the whiteboard reads: “My country is Kanaky” in her language Paicȋ, from the customary region of Paicȋ-Camuki

Abstract:

In this presentation, we explore the literary contributions of Déwé Gorodé and Chantal Spitz, originating from the former French colonies of New Caledonia and Polynesia, respectively. These authors inhabit a unique space within Francophone literature, one that vehemently diverges from the colonial narrative, embodying a potent political discourse that challenges the vestiges of colonization. This investigation is contextualized through the lens of Jean-Paul Sartre’s 1948 assertion, which posits the necessity for a cultural and intellectual decolonization—a rebirth from the ashes of colonial imposition towards an authentic self-representation.

The core of our analysis seeks to interrogate the mechanisms through which Gorodé and Spitz navigate their post-colonial identity, endeavoring to purge the colonial discourse embedded in their cultural heritage. Central to our inquiry is the examination of how these authors construct a narrative that eschews the colonial legacy, engaging in a literary renaissance that is both original and personal. This entails a rigorous critique of the stereotypes perpetuated by Western literature regarding their nations, thereby reclaiming the narrative sovereignty of their cultures.

Furthermore, this presentation probes into the existential and ontological dilemmas posed by the quest for a liberated voice. It scrutinizes the methodologies through which these authors articulate the multifaceted trauma of colonialism, the quest for a post-colonial identity, and the unbearable weight of historical subjugation. A pivotal aspect of our discourse centers on the relationship with language, exploring how Gorodé and Spitz establish a subversive dialogue with their linguistic heritage, thereby crafting a space for resistance and self-definition.

Through this academic exposition, we aim to shed light on the transformative power of literature as a vehicle for cultural emancipation and identity reclamation in post-colonial contexts. The subversive use of language emerges not merely as a stylistic element but as the linchpin of their literary resistance, offering profound insights into the dynamic interplay between language, identity, and decolonization.

Bio:

Ann-Sophie Levidis is a lecturer in French Studies at the Australian National University and a research associate at UMR 8138 SIRICE (Sorbonne – Identités, relations internationales et civilisations de l’Europe), Paris I  and the The Weatherhead Research Cluster on Global History, Harvard. Her first book A Sphynx of Saigon. French War Crimes Trial Policy and the Colonial Origins of International Law will be forthcoming at Cambridge University Press next year. Her second book, The Land Where Decolonization Never Came: The Indigenous Quest for Statehood, Sovereignty, and Environmental Justice in the Atomic Pacific, is in pre-contract with North Carolina University Press.