16th International Conference
The Art of Orality: Improvisation at the Crossroads of Artistic, Cultural, and Social Dimensions
The International Society for the Oral Literatures of Africa is pleased to announce the ISOLA Africa 2027 Conference, hosted in Agadir, Morocco.
This edition will explore the richness and diversity of oral literatures and oral traditions across Africa and its diasporas. It will examine how voices, stories, performances, memories and cultural practices continue to shape African societies, identities and knowledge systems.
The conference welcomes interdisciplinary contributions from literature, anthropology, linguistics, cultural studies, communication, history, performing arts, heritage studies and related fields.
Conference Theme
Oralities, Memory and Cultural Transmission in Africa
Orality remains one of the most powerful forms of cultural expression in Africa. Through storytelling, poetry, songs, proverbs, rituals, performances and everyday speech, communities transmit knowledge, values, histories and collective memories.
Conference Highlights
01
Academic Exchange
A space for researchers, professors, doctoral students and independent scholars to present and discuss new perspectives on African oral literatures.
02
Cultural Dialogue
An opportunity to explore the relationship between oral traditions, artistic performance, memory, identity and cultural heritage.
03
International Network
A meeting point for scholars and practitioners from Africa, Europe and beyond, strengthening the ISOLA academic community.
04
Moroccan Context
Hosted in Agadir, the conference will also highlight Morocco’s cultural diversity, multilingual heritage and rich oral traditions.
Areas of Interest
The conference welcomes papers and contributions related to, but not limited to:
- Oral literatures and African storytelling traditions
- Memory, heritage and cultural transmission
- Performance, voice, rhythm and embodied knowledge
- Oral traditions and identity construction
- Multilingualism, translation and African languages
- Digital archives and the preservation of oral heritage
- Gender, community and oral expression
- Oral history, testimony and collective memory
- Contemporary transformations of oral practices
- African oralities in diasporic contexts
Submit Your Abstract
Researchers, doctoral students, artists and cultural practitioners are invited to submit their proposals for ISOLA Africa 2027. Abstracts should present original research, critical reflections, fieldwork, artistic practice or cultural experience related to African oral literatures and oral traditions.
Agadir, Morocco
Located on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, Agadir is a dynamic city known for its openness, cultural diversity and connection to Amazigh heritage. Its geographic position, academic environment and cultural richness make it a meaningful setting for an international conference dedicated to African oralities.
Participants will have the opportunity to discover a city shaped by history, language, memory and cultural exchange.
Who Can Participate?
Professors, lecturers and scholars working on oral literatures, African studies and cultural heritage.
Young researchers developing projects related to orality, memory, language, performance and African cultures.
Storytellers, performers, musicians, poets and professionals involved in the transmission of oral traditions.
Organizations working on heritage preservation, education, archives, culture and African knowledge systems.
Join ISOLA Africa 2027 in Morocco
Be part of an international conversation on African oral literatures, cultural memory and the future of oral traditions.