The Classical Arabic Maqāma in Yorubaland, Nigeria

Texts, Contexts, and Scholars
Erscheinungsjahr 2025
ISBN: 978-90-04-69368-5
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Arabisch, Band 01, 270 Seiten, Format (B × H): 164 mm x 238 mm, Gewicht: 721 g

Reihe: Global Arabic Literary Cultures

This book offers a fresh perspective on the re-emergence of a classical literary genre, showcasing a fusion of tradition and innovation. It examines the cultural dynamics that shape the development of Arabic maqama in Nigeria. The maqama, a genre traditionally associated with the MENA region, experienced a revival and gained relevance among contemporary Nigerian writers. Through meticulous exploration and in-depth interviews, this groundbreaking research offers invaluable insights into the process of adaptation and evolution of the maqama, witnessing its transformation into a thriving literary tradition. It thus unravels a vibrant, yet overlooked, chapter in African Arabic literary culture, redefining our understanding of its globalizing nature.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Alagunfon, Sulaiman Adewale

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Afrikanische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Literaturgeschichte und Literaturkritik
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Naher & Mittlerer Osten
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Klassische Literaturwissenschaft

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgements

Foreword

List of Maps, Figures and Tables

1 Introduction

Contextualizing the Maqama Genre in the Arabic Literary Map of Yorubaland, Nigeria 1 The Yoruba-Nigerian Arabic literary tradition 2 Maqama in the Nigerian Arabic literary chart 3 Scholars: dramatis personae 4 Methods and sources 5 Overview of chapters

2 The Scholarly Setting

The Influence and Evolution of the maqama in a Socio-Educational Context 1 The Arabic reading public 2 The maqama and the reading public 3 “Learn a maqama and teach it to others” 4 Investigating (un)translatability 5 Debates, critiques, and the literary space

3 The Public Sphere

The Socio-Cultural Significance and the Multifaceted Role of the maqama in Nigerian Society 1 “Secret of life” 2 Generating friends and foes 3 Maqama sociability 4 Patronage and propaganda 5 The political economy of the maqama: publishing and marketing strategies 6 The spiritual factor: talismanic uses of the maqama

4 Emotional Dimensions

Unraveling the Emotional Landscape of the Nigerian Maqama Production 1 Emotion and the contexts of motivation 2 Traits of emotions 3 The language of emotion 4 Representing the physical manifestations of emotion 5 Emotions in the vernacular

5 The Old Way

Structures and Sources of the Nigerian Maqamat in Comparative Perspective 1 Nigerian mqamat: structure, content and style 2 Additional sources

Conclusion

Appendix

Glossary

Sources and Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Sulaiman Adewale Alagunfon, Ph.D. (Freie Universität Berlin, 2023), is a researcher with teaching experience at Nigeria's Ekiti State University. His research interests include Arabic literary culture and the intellectual history of the Bilad al-Sudan, on which he is widely published.