Discussion on the book “The meanings of Timbuktu”

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) and the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) of South Africa recently held a discussion on the book “The meanings of Timbuktu”, published in French as “Tombouctou : Pour une histoire de l’érudition en Afrique de l’Ouest” and edited by Souleymane Bachir Diagne (Columbia University, USA) and Shamil Jeppie (University of Capetown, South Africa). Contradicting the popular notion that African history survived only through the oral tradition, this collection of essays examines the rich legacy of written history on the continent, specifically in Timbuktu. It brings together articles written by a number of leading international scholars covering a wide range of areas in the study of Timbuktu, from archaeology and literature to the intellectual life, libraries, and private collections in Timbuktu and West Africa.

This event took place place at CODESRIA headquarter on Thursday, 3 May 2012, avenue Cheikh Anta Diop X Canal IV (Dakar). Below are some videos of the event: