Duncan Tarrant

Duncan Tarrant is a doctoral researcher at the University of Bayreuth's Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, focusing on Swahili poetry and novels as part of a broader investigation into cultural and literary networks across the Indian Ocean. His work intersects with the cluster's mission to explore the dynamic, internally multiple nature of African literatures and their global connections.

• Geographical focus: East Africa and the Indian Ocean region
• Collaborates with Prof. Dr. Clarissa Vierke on case studies
• Examines migration flows and digital media (social media) impacts on Swahili expressive cultures

His research addresses how Swahili poetry and songs incorporate transnational elements from India and the Middle East, challenging assumptions about literary influences through fieldwork in Zanzibar and Oman. This work contributes to the cluster's overarching theme of 'practices of worlding' by analyzing how literary forms construct and inhabit multiple cultural worlds simultaneously.