A passage to Africa: American writers in 20th century Africa

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to examine the contact of various American writers and the cultures of the African continent in the 20th century. The continent went through complete cultural, social, political, economic and historical changes in the 20th century. At the backdrop of this scene many American writers visited and were inspired by Africa which resulted in unique cultural, artistic but also political perspectives that came to be considered artefacts. Novelists such as Ernest Hemingway, W.E. B Du Bois and Langston Hughes drew the world’s attention to the African matters and set the path of other explorers of the African experience and the cultural scene on the continent. This proved that the cultural passage to Africa meant mutual reflection, mirroring and transition of historical, cultural and economic heritage between the USA and the African lands.
Key words: African experience, American writers, 20th century