Important Dates

About the Colloquium

The 38th Swahili Colloquium brings together scholars, poets, musicians, and translators from across the globe to explore the theme Sauti za Maana — Voices/Sounds of Meaning. Hosted at the Iwalewahaus, Bayreuth University, the three-day event examines how voice, sound, and oral performance generate and transmit meaning across Swahili literary, musical, and cultural traditions. From prosody in gospel music and political satire to colonial manuscript collections, women's voices on Islamic radio, and the sonic worlds of the East African coast, participants engage with Swahili verbal art in its full breadth — live performance, archival research, digital innovation, and community practice. The programme also features four book launches, film screenings, a jam session, and a celebration of Abdilatif Abdalla's 80th birthday.

The event is organised by the Department of Literatures in African Languages, Universität Bayreuth, and supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG).

For further details and the full programme click here