When Haiti declared its independence from France on 1 January 1804, it began the process of fostering a national culture. One element of this cultural development can be seen at the intersection of Haitian literature with the legacies of ancient Greece and Rome. In this episode, Shivaike Shah talks with Tom Hawkins, Associate Professor of Classics at Ohio State University, about the ways in which Haitian authors have sought ‘to take back Classics from the colonial archive’ (Emily Greenwood) in texts ranging from the earliest years of the new nation to the contemporary Haitian diaspora.

To find out more about this topic, check out the reading list on our website: https://www.khameleonproductions.org/classics-in-haiti