Serena Talento

Serena Talento is an Assistant Professor at the Chair of Literatures in African Languages at the University of Bayreuth. She also holds a Research Associate position at the Department of Linguistics and Language Practice at the University of the Free State and is affiliated with the Tsikinya-Chaka Centre at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her editorial work includes co-editing the Swahili Forum journal.

Education

• Doctorate: African Studies, University of Bayreuth (2018)
• M.A.: Languages and Cultures of Africa, University of Naples “L’Orientale” (2011)
• B.A.: Languages and Cultures of Africa, University of Naples “L’Orientale” (2008)

Research Interests center on literary translation into and from Swahili, with a focus on sociology of translation, translation history, Shakespearean adaptations in East Africa, and the intersection of translation with nationalism and manuscript cultures. Her work employs historical and sociological frameworks to analyze the social relevance of translated texts.

Publications Trends reveal a consistent focus on Swahili literary exchanges, postcolonial translation, and sociological dimensions of cross-cultural communication. She explores comparative literature, manuscript traditions, and historical reception studies, often linking these to broader African literary theory and translation policy.

Affiliated Projects include the Recalibrating Afrikanistik initiative and collaborations with institutions such as the University of Leipzig and University of the Witwatersrand.