The International Society for Oral Literature in Africa (ISOLA) is an association of scholars from all over the world who are interested in exploring the rich oral traditions of Africa from as many disciplinary perspectives as possible. For instance, some of us try to observe the texts in performance so as to understand the skills with which performers of oral literature do their job and the influence of performance conditions—the nature and attitudes of the audience, the quality of music accompanying the performer, etc.—on the performers’ act and on the resulting text. Others are interested in issues of history, social and political organization, gender relations, inter-group conflict, language, intersections of orality and literacy, identity and power, and the place of oral traditions in present-day concerns like HIV/AIDS, war, and governance.
The international character of ISOLA is demonstrated not only by the national diversity of its membership but also by the distribution of the sites of our conferences. Our meetings have been held in London, UK (1991), Legon, Ghana (1995), Cape Town, South Africa (1998), Chambery, France (2002), and Banjul, Gambia (2004). Our sixth conference will take place in St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago (2006). We also have plans to meet in Japan and in an Indian Ocean country. We identify with the initiatives of UNESCO towards the preservation of the world’s “intangible heritage,” and are in the process of establishing a stable cooperative relationship with the organization. Our main languages of discussion and communication are English and French.
Membership in ISOLA is based on the payment of annual dues according to the following tariff: Teachers in Africa and the Caribbean: US$10 or Euro equivalent. Teachers everywhere else: US$30 or Euro equivalent. Graduate students in Africa and the Caribbean: US$5 or Euro equivalent. Graduate students everywhere else: US$10 or Euro equivalent. Those who are interested in becoming members of ISOLA should send their payments to Dr. Isidore Okpewho, President of ISOLA, Department of Africana Studies, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA. Payment may be made by personalized check (USA) or certified bank check. Those who wish to pay by credit card should request a credit card deposit form from Dr Okpewho, whose e-mail address is iokpewho@binghamton.edu.
Further information about ISOLA (including the society’s Constitution) will be found on our website: http://isola.binghamton.edu. A Call for Papers as well as tariff of registration fees for the 2006 conference in St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago will be posted on the website early in April 2005.
Isidore Okpewho
President