Representation of queer identities in coming-of-age, Nigerian-set narratives
Parole chiave:
queer identities, Nigeria, horizontal bonds, queerphobia, coming-of-ageAbstract
This paper sets out to explore how queer identities are represented in coming-of-age narratives set in Nigeria and written in English by a new wave of contemporary female authors in the diaspora. Identified throughout the analysis under the acronym QTPOC (Queer and Trans People of Colour), the queer protagonists of Olumide Popoola’s When We Speak of Nothing (2017) and Buki Papillon’s An Ordinary Wonder (2021) expose how their subjectivities are formed through the intersections of gender, sexuality, and race. Underpinning the analysis of the selected fiction is the need to critically reflect on how political otherness continues to affect queer communities in the Nigerian context. While examining biased attitudes remains a central feature of this analysis, this paper highlights the potential of horizontal bonds and solidarity relations for empowering the queer protagonists. Popoola and Papillon’s interest in portraying the development of a resistance consciousness confirms that this contemporary trope of female authors uses literature as a pedagogical tool to counter queerphobia and advocate for queer rights in Nigeria and beyond.
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Riferimenti bibliografici
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Copyright (c) 2025 María Durán Eusebio
Questo lavoro è fornito con la licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale.
