Congratulations to Professor James Williams, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, who has won the 2020 R. Gapper Prize for the best book in French Studies published in 2019. 'Ethics and Aesthetics in Contemporary African Cinema: The Politics of Beauty' is the first book exclusively on film to be recognised by this prestigious award.
The French Society stated; "This deeply impressive work of scholarship represents a major contribution to the study of African cinema in French. It provides both a clear contextualisation of the legacies of film-making in sub-Saharan Africa and detailed engagement with the work of a new generation of filmmakers. The book offers a compelling reworking of the role of aesthetics and configurations of beauty in contemporary African cinema. Meticulously researched and referenced, it moves between context and theory and offers close and utterly persuasive readings. The book constructs a strikingly original critical framework and provides a welcome and important new approach to African cinema in French that will have a real impact within the field and beyond".
You can view a short interview that James recorded with the Chair of the jury and which was shown during the prize-giving session at the Society's annual conference here.