An encyclopedia of African oral literature

"Today we are witnessing a phase of profound transformation in African societies, oral transmission as such is retreating and teaching is not taking over." This is the observation of Ursula Baumgardt, university professor and scientific leader of the Encyclopedia of Literature in African Languages (ELLAF) project, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR). This project aims to fill the gaps in the theoretical approach to and documentation of literature in African languages. The stakes are high: the aim is to enhance the value of cultural heritage by improving the environment for literary creation, an essential condition for the transmission and teaching of literature in African languages.

The project highlights an unsuspected problem in its societal dimension, that of the difficulties encountered by authors in publishing and distributing literary texts written in African languages, a posture that is very often a militant act. Thus, 19 languages, associated with literatures, were progressively included in the project: bomou, boulou, capverdian, gbaya, igbo, malgache, mandingue, peul, swahili, wolof and zarma, amharic, somali, kinyarwanda, haoussa, kabyle, mooré, shikomori and soninké.

The ELLAF project has a didactic dimension, contributing to greater recognition of oral literature in African languages, whose function is to transmit languages, representations of the world and associated cultural values.

Scientific contact:
Ursula Baumgardt, university professor at the Inalco laboratory Plidam
Projet ELLAF