Migritude in the Digital Space: An Analysis of Migration Narratives in Twenty-First-Century Electronic Literature
Proposal Type
Individual Talk
Location
Narratives & Worlds
Start Date
July 2026
End Date
July 2026
Abstract
The study examines the concept of migritude in the field of digital literature, highlighting the importance of African and diasporic movements in the development of modern electronic narratives studies. Drawing upon digital humanities, postcolonial theory, and African literary studies, the study posits that electronic literature transcends mere representation of migration; it actively enacts migritude through its formal, procedural, and interactive design.
This research will careful analyse the specific electronic literary works, demonstrates how nonlinear narratives, hypertextual fragmentation, and reader involvement reflect the inherent discontinuities of migratory experiences, while also highlighting African epistemologies, linguistic hybridity, and cultural memory. These digital narratives, therefore, contest Eurocentric portrayals of migration by asserting autonomy and narrative agency within digital environments.
Digital spaces also serve as arenas of negotiation, allowing African migrant individuals to become active storytellers rather than just passive subjects. Electronic literature focusing on Migritude texts will use of interfaces, algorithms, and various media, creates new ways of creating and experiencing stories. This reflects the dynamic and creative nature of lives that cross national borders. It expands migritude theory's application to electronic literature, framing migritude as both a thematic element and a procedural and structural principle inherent in digital formats. This offers a decolonial digital framework for interpreting African migration narratives, illustrating how computer aesthetics and interactivity are redefining perceptions of mobility, displacement, and Africa's future, moving beyond dominant crisis-focused narratives.
In accordance with the AFEL 2026 initiative, this research explores migritude within digital literature, framing African and diasporic movements as central to contemporary electronic narratives. Drawing on digital humanities, postcolonial theory, and African literary studies, the research argues that electronic literature goes beyond simply representing migration ; it actively enacts migritude through its formal, procedural, and interactive design.
Keywords: Migritude, Electronic Literature, Digital Humanities, African Diaspora, Decolonial Narratives
Migritude in the Digital Space: An Analysis of Migration Narratives in Twenty-First-Century Electronic Literature
Narratives & Worlds
The study examines the concept of migritude in the field of digital literature, highlighting the importance of African and diasporic movements in the development of modern electronic narratives studies. Drawing upon digital humanities, postcolonial theory, and African literary studies, the study posits that electronic literature transcends mere representation of migration; it actively enacts migritude through its formal, procedural, and interactive design.
This research will careful analyse the specific electronic literary works, demonstrates how nonlinear narratives, hypertextual fragmentation, and reader involvement reflect the inherent discontinuities of migratory experiences, while also highlighting African epistemologies, linguistic hybridity, and cultural memory. These digital narratives, therefore, contest Eurocentric portrayals of migration by asserting autonomy and narrative agency within digital environments.
Digital spaces also serve as arenas of negotiation, allowing African migrant individuals to become active storytellers rather than just passive subjects. Electronic literature focusing on Migritude texts will use of interfaces, algorithms, and various media, creates new ways of creating and experiencing stories. This reflects the dynamic and creative nature of lives that cross national borders. It expands migritude theory's application to electronic literature, framing migritude as both a thematic element and a procedural and structural principle inherent in digital formats. This offers a decolonial digital framework for interpreting African migration narratives, illustrating how computer aesthetics and interactivity are redefining perceptions of mobility, displacement, and Africa's future, moving beyond dominant crisis-focused narratives.
In accordance with the AFEL 2026 initiative, this research explores migritude within digital literature, framing African and diasporic movements as central to contemporary electronic narratives. Drawing on digital humanities, postcolonial theory, and African literary studies, the research argues that electronic literature goes beyond simply representing migration ; it actively enacts migritude through its formal, procedural, and interactive design.
Keywords: Migritude, Electronic Literature, Digital Humanities, African Diaspora, Decolonial Narratives
Bio
My name is Ruth Oluyemi Akande. I am an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Lagos and a PhD student. My current research focuses on immigration and integration in migritude novels.