معرفی
Wendy Laura Belcher is a Professor of African literature at Princeton University, holding a joint appointment in the Department of African American Studies and the Department of Comparative Literature. She specializes in early African literature, medieval studies, and postcolonial thought, with a focus on Ethiopian and Ghanaian intellectual traditions. Her work bridges global literary history and decolonial critique, emphasizing Africa’s role in shaping global cultural narratives.
Belcher earned her PhD in English Literature from UCLA, alongside MA degrees in African Studies and Urban Planning, and a BA in English Literature from Mount Holyoke College. Her research includes groundbreaking translations of Ethiopian texts, such as The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Walatta Petros, and projects like the Princeton Ethiopian Miracles of Mary (PEMM) digital humanities initiative, supported by NEH grants.
Her research interests span African literature’s global influence, early African philosophical texts, and the Kebra Nagast’s impact on modern movements like Rastafarianism. She co-leads the Black Queen of Sheba project, exploring medieval African ideas in global culture. Belcher is also renowned for her best-selling guide Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks, aiding academics worldwide in publishing success.
Belcher’s awards include the Fulbright Scholarship, SSEMW’s Best Scholarly Edition award, and the Paul Hair Award. Her work appears in journals like Eighteenth-Century Fiction and Research in African Literatures, with peer-reviewed chapters in volumes on African Christian biography and global medievalism.
She collaborates with scholars like Michael Kleiner and Ralph Lee on translations and digital humanities projects. Her teaching and research challenge Eurocentric narratives, emphasizing Africa’s rich textual heritage and its contributions to global literature.
