About this Event
In this lecture, Kaoutar Harchi will explore what it means to "write of the self" — and to write about one’s people — in a French postcolonial framework. In her talk, she will therefore adopt a reflexive approach, focusing on her autobiographical novel Comme nous existons (As We Exist: a Postcolonial Autobiography). She will investigate three particular times: the time before the writing, the process of writing itself, and the time that follows the writing process. In her talk Kaoutar Harchi will give particular attention to the economies of affect underlined in the narrative of Comme nous existons. These affects are perfectly political: especially the quest for appeasement, the attachment to one’s anger, the fear of forgetting, and the demand for justice.
Kaoutar Harchi is a French sociologist whose work focuses on political relations between speciesism, racism, and sexism in postindustrial societies. Comme nous existons was recently translated into English by Other Press under the title . Her other books include A l’Origine notre père obscur, Ainsi l’animal et nous, and L’Ampleur du saccage.
This talk is presented as the keynote lecture in the conference on the theme of “(Re)-conciliation?” organized by the French Graduate Student Association on January 30-31, 2025.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Maison Française, 515 West 116th Street, New York, United States
