Peter Wuteh Vakunta

Peter Wuteh Vakunta, PhD., is an author, literary theorist, poet, and professor, noted for his work in and on hybrid languages, including Camfranglais, Cameroonian Creole, linguistic indigenization, and multilingual educational systems. He is originally from Bamunka-Ndop, in the Northwest Region of the Republic of Cameroon, and currently teaches French language and literature and serves as Chair of the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Indianapolis.

Vakunta immigrated to the United States in 2001, after serving as a senior translator at the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon. He earned his bachelor's degrees in Cameroon and Nigeria, as well as his MA and MSE degrees in the USA and Cameroon. He received a PhD in French and Francophone Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he taught courses in the Theory of African Literature and Contemporary African Fiction. He is married with five children.

Vakunta writes in and about Camfranglais, a hybrid language largely based on French syntax and vocabulary that has served as a language of resistance in Cameroon since surfacing in the 1970s. Vakutna has written poetry and critical work in Camfranglais, including a recent biographical work on Lapiro de Mbanga.

In 2011, Vakunta released a work on literary theory exploring linguistic indigenization in African literature and its implications for literary criticism as well as translation theory. Indigenization, within this context, is defined as “the African writer's attempt at negotiating linguistic and cultural spaces in a bid to infuse literary works with the worldview, imagination and sensibilities of indigenous cultures.” Analyzing the works of Nazi Boni, Ahmadou Kourouma, and Patrice Nganang, Vakunta concludes that “indigenization of language constitutes the single most effective tool with which postcolonial African writers attempt to individualize the use of the French language,” calling for further research into the controversial aspects of language usage in postcolonial literature.

Books

Camfranglais: The Making of a New Language in Cameroonian Literature, 2014 (ISBN 9789956792962)

The Life and Times of a Cameroonian Icon: Tribute to Lapiro de Mbanga Ngata Man, 2014 (ISBN 9789956791941)

Speak Camfranglais pour un renouveau ongolais, 2014 (ISBN 9789956791767)

Nation at Risk: A Personal Narrative of the Cameroonian Crisis, 2012 (ISBN 9781469799742)

Nouvelles du Cameroun, 2011 (ISBN 9782350741932)

Les douleurs de la plume noire, 2010 (ISBN 9956616281)

Martryrdom and Other Freedom Poems, 2010 (ISBN 1450251412)

Indigenization of Language in the African Francophone Novel: A New Literary Canon, 2010 (ISBN 143311271X)

Nul n'a le monopole du français: deux poètes du Cameroon Anglophone, 2010 (ISBN 9956615501)

Cam Tok and Other Poems from the Cradle, 2010 (ISBN 1452006032)

Paradise of Idiots, 2010 (ISBN 1452006016)

Straddling the Mungo: A Book of Poems in English and French, 2009 (ISBN 9956558893)

No Love Lost, 2008 (ISBN 9956558400)

Majunga Tok: Poems in Pidgin English, 2008 (ISBN 9956558613)

Ntarikon: Poetry for the Downtrodden, 2008 (ISBN 1434357678)

Grassfields Stories from Cameroon, 2008 (ISBN 9956558117)

Cry My Beloved Africa: Essays on the Postcolonial Aura in Africa, 2008 (ISBN 9956558737)

Green Rape: Poetry for the Environment, 2008 (ISBN 9956558486)

Better English: Mind Your P's & Q's: A Guide to Effective Communication for English Second Language Speakers, 2007 (ASIN B008VGFTYC)

The Lion Man and Other Stories, 2005 (ISBN 1592214002)

A Lexicon of French and English Terms and Expressions Used in Parliamentary Proceedings, 2004

Glossaire anglais-français des termes et expressions relatifs aux élections et aux techniques d'observation des elections, 2003 (ISBN 0620269782)

Lexique Français-Anglais des termes et expressions à l'usage des parlementaires, 2003 (ASIN B00KIDQ3BO)

A French-English Lexicon of Terms and Expressions relating to Voting and Election Monitoring, 2000 (ISBN 0620269774)

Articles in Peer-Reviewed & Online Journals

Translation or Treason: On Translating the Third Code, Translation Journal 17.4 (2013).

Camfranglais: The Making of a New Language in Fouda’s Je Parle Camerounais and Fonkou’s Moi taximan'. The Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association 44.2 (Fall 2013), 162-8.

Dissent as a Higher form of Patriotism, Pambazuka 623 (2013).

Fela’s Rebel Afrobeat: A Pedagogical Perspective, Journal of African Literature Association 6.2 (Spring 2012), 1-11.

The Francophone Novel of Africa and the Caribbean: A Teacher’s Perspective, Teaching African Literature Today, 29 (2011).

Aporia: Ngugi’s Fatalistic Logic on the Position of Indigenous Languages in African Literature, Journal of African Literature Association 5.2 (2010):74-81.

The Francophone Writer at the Crossroads of Languages, Chimères 31 (2010):1-14.

Critical Perspectives on the Francophone Novel of Africa and the Caribbean, Journal of the Midwest Modern Language Association 42.1 (2009):163-178.

On Translating Camfranglais and Other Camerounismes, META 53.4 (2009): 942-947.

Ramifications of Linguistic Innovation in African Literature: An Interview with Patrice Nganang, Journal of African Literature Association 3.2 (2009): 205-212.

Poète francophone du Cameroun, Tropos 35(2009):58-65.