Abstract
This dissertation explores the representation of female same-sex relationships in African literature through a close reading of two literary texts, namely The World Unseen by Shamim Sarif (2001), and Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta (2014). Set on the African continent, both works thematically engage with the historical past by presenting their characters within the genre of historical fiction. These two texts are positioned within the African literary canon, and explore the concept of queer relationships between women of colour. They contribute to the imaginative Queer African archive that is built through a process of layering histories and narratives. The unique historical attributes inherent within each novel present the environment that influences each characters affective state and orientation to their surroundings. Affect theory, is therefore, deployed to engage with the character’s affective responses to ascertain the capabilities of conveying positive and negative affective states through the medium of historical fiction. By positioning these novels within their respective literary traditions, and exploring the novels’ narrative engagements with the queer subject matter, conventional narrative and historical fiction structures are disrupted and queered. Ultimately, the novels represent, through imaginative fiction, the limits, and possibilities of queer relationships within the time periods in which they are set.