This course will introduce you to the study of literature from two different yet commonly grounded areas: the continent of Africa and the West Indies. By placing at the forefront of discussion the notion of colonization and its effects, we will examine the intersections of key themes such as language, diaspora, slavery, race and gender, the body, and the historical legacy of colonialism. The novel will be our primary textual form, but we will also spend time engaging with the poetry and theoretical works that have shaped both of these rich and diverse literary worlds.