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the bold, singular term of the decolonisation years: African Lit? erature, the implication being a pan-African concept. The current confer-ence, for example, refers to the plural form, African Literatures:" versions and subversions," ie," the multiple facets, themes and styles emerging currently... that question hegemonic discourses in this field." 1 Second, a tendency? to some extent, in literature studies generally? to subsume the literary work under cultural, political, or historical practice. Questions of value or quality simply vanish, there being no reason why, say, Achebe's novels are a better index to, or symptom of, the cultural aporias of colonialism or postcolonialism than any number of bestsellers or, for that matter, civil service or medical or prison reports of the period. There are good reasons why the plural form African Literatures should be preferred. Indeed, my own study? originally advertised by the publishers as" …