Andisheh Ghaderi and Antje Ziethen
WPS 2023/4
Abstract
The working paper presents the methodology as well as preliminary results and visualizations of a digital humanities project that explores transatlantic migration in African literature through a computing and cartographic approach. At its current stage, the study encompasses 26 texts (out of 70) – written in English, French, Portuguese, and Arabic – from across the African continent that deal with migration to Brazil, Canada, and the US. Mapping geographic and socioeconomic data collected from a larger corpus is a powerful tool to reveal both the multi-sited nature of African writing produced by flows and circulations and the multidimensional experience of migration represented in the novels – voluntary or involuntary, indirect or direct. Moreover, it allows to draw conclusions in terms of migration corridors, clusters, flows, transit routes, and gender ratio. The results are showcased using the digital storytelling tool ArcGIS StoryMaps in order to promote open and inclusive forms of scholarly production. This mapping project is the first of its kind and aims to reinvigorate the field of comparative African Literature. Ultimately, the objective is to contribute to the decolonization of the Digital Humanities (DH) by applying its tools to African Studies.