David Murphy

David Murphy is a Professor at the University of Strathclyde (since 2019) specializing in modern and contemporary Francophone West African culture. His research focuses on postcolonial African cinema, anti-colonial movements, and cultural festivals. He previously worked at the University of Stirling for 18 years. Key contributions include monographs like Sembene: Imagining Alternatives in Film and Fiction (2000) and co-edited volumes such as Postcolonial Thought in the French-Speaking World (2009). Currently, he is writing a biography of interwar Senegalese anti-colonialist Lamine Senghor.

Research Interests:

• Postcolonial African cinema and its socio-political dimensions
• Anti-colonial intellectual networks in interwar France
• Pan-African cultural festivals and their legacy
• Francophone West African literature and theater

Recent Work Trends: Recent publications analyze figures like Ousmane Sembene and Lamine Senghor, exploring intersections of cinema, politics, and anti-colonial resistance. His work often bridges historical analysis with cultural critique, emphasizing decolonial perspectives.

Grants & Projects:

• Co-investigator on AHRC-funded project ‘White Thinking’ and the failed promise of diversity in Scottish heritage (2023–2024)
• Contributor to transnational research on anti-colonial activism and cultural festivals

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with scholars in African studies, postcolonial theory, and cultural history through international networks like the Society for Francophone Postcolonial Studies.