Dr. Kehinde Kemi Rebecca – DAAD guest lecturer at the Chair of English Literature

Dr. Kehinde Kemi Rebecca is a Nigerian literary scholar and Lecturer in the Department of Languages and Linguistics at Anchor University, Lagos, Nigeria. She holds a PhD in African Literature from the University of Ibadan, where her doctoral research examined the construction of masculinities in female-authored Zimbabwean prose fiction. Her research interests include African literature, gender studies, cultural politics, women’s writing, postcolonial studies, and the representation of social transformation in African societies. She is an ARUA-Carnegie-Mastercard Early Career Research Fellow and a DAAD GROW Fellow at TU Dresden. Her current research explores women’s empowerment, resilience, and cultural transformation through Northern Nigerian literature

Name: Dr. Kehinde Kemi Rebecca
Position: DAAD guest lecturer
Chair: Chair of English Literature (Prof. Dr. Stefan Horlacher)
Institute: Institute of English and American Studies
Faculty: Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies
Duration of your stay:  October 2026 - January 2027 (four months)

How do you like Dresden?
I am enjoying Dresden so far. It is a beautiful city, and I particularly appreciate its atmosphere and the balance between its historic character and everyday life. I am still discovering the city and getting used to my new surroundings, but I have already felt very welcome. I am looking forward to exploring more of Dresden during my stay.

Is it your first time in Germany and Dresden?
Yes, this is my first time in both Germany and Dresden. I am very happy that my first experience of Germany is through this academic fellowship, which gives me the opportunity not only to develop my research but also to experience a new culture and academic environment.

What is your connection to TU Dresden?
I am at TU Dresden as a DAAD GROW Fellow, hosted by Professor Stefan Horlacher at the Chair of English Literatures. My fellowship provides an opportunity to work on my current research project, engage with scholars in the department, and exchange ideas across different academic and cultural contexts.

What is your connection to the English Department and the Chair of English Literature?
My connection is through my DAAD fellowship and my academic host, Professor Stefan Horlacher. As a scholar of African literature, I am particularly pleased to be part of a department where I can engage with colleagues and students working in English literatures and related fields. I look forward to the intellectual exchange and the opportunity to share perspectives from African literary studies.

What are your main interests as a researcher? Which topics do you focus on?
My research is broadly situated within African literary studies, with a particular interest in the intersections of literature, gender, and cultural politics. I am interested in how African writers represent women’s experiences, gender relations, cultural expectations, identity, and social change. I also work on questions of postcolonialism, masculinity, gendered violence, resilience, and women’s agency. I am especially interested in how literature engages with the complexities of African societies and creates space for imagining different social possibilities.

What was your most interesting research topic so far?
One of the most engaging research projects I have undertaken was my doctoral study on the construction of masculinities in female-authored Zimbabwean prose fiction. I found it particularly interesting because it allowed me to explore how women writers represent masculinity, power, and gender relations, offering valuable perspectives on how ideas about manhood are shaped, negotiated, and sometimes redefined within particular cultural and social contexts. The research deepened my interest in gender as a relational concept and showed me how literature can open up conversations about the experiences, identities, and relationships of both women and men.

What will be the focus of your research at TU Dresden?
My research project is titled Cultural Politics, Resilience and Transformation: Women’s Empowerment through Northern Nigerian Literature. The project examines how selected literary works from Northern Nigeria represent women’s experiences, agency, and resilience within particular cultural and social contexts. I am interested in how women negotiate cultural expectations and structures of power, and how literary narratives imagine possibilities for personal and collective transformation.
I hope the research will contribute to discussions of gender and women’s writing in African literature while bringing greater attention to the literary representations and experiences of women in Northern Nigeria.

Which item do you absolutely need at your workplace?
My laptop. It is where most of my reading, writing, research, and note-taking happen. I would probably struggle to get much academic work done without it!

Do you have a favourite quote? If so, what is it and from whom?
"The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience" by Eleanor Roosevelt 

Which book did you recently read? / Which movie/series did you watch recently?
I recently watched Parasite (2019), the South Korean film directed by Bong Joon-ho. I found it particularly interesting because of the way it explores social class, inequality, and the complexities of human relationships. I also appreciated how the film uses humour, suspense, and unexpected turns to engage with serious social issues.

More information about you can be found:
on LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/kehinde-kemi-ph-d-1b0b95115
or on my blog: https://substack.com/@drkehindekemi