Blackening Canada: Diaspora, Race, Multiculturalism
Focusing on the work of black, diasporic writers in Canada, particularly Dionne Brand, Austin Clarke, and Tessa McWatt, Blackening Canada investigates the manner in which literature can transform conceptions of nation and diaspora. Through a consideration of literary representation, public discourse, and the language of political protest, Paul Barrett argues that Canadian multiculturalism uniquely enables black diasporic writers to transform national literature and identity. These writers seize upon the ambiguities and tensions within Canadian discourses of nation to rewrite the nation from a black, diasporic perspective, converting exclusion from the national discourse into the impetus for their creative endeavours.
Paul Barrett is an Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph’s School of English and Theatre Studies. His work centres topics in Canadian literature, digital humanities and critical race studies.
Other publications from this author include:
- Membering Austin Clarke (2020)