Negotiating cultural hegemony: power dynamics in the postcolonial translation of African literature into English

This study critically examines power asymmetries in the English translation of African literary texts, framing translation as a site of cultural contestation within postcolonial discourse. Drawing on theories by Said, Spivak, and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, it develops a tripartite framework to analyze evolving power negotiations. Through comparative textual analysis of works by Achebe, Ngũgĩ, and Adichie, the study identifies three translational paradigms: a colonial one marked by linguistic imperialism and epistemic violence; a postcolonial resistance paradigm using vernacular retention and narrative subversion; and a contemporary transnational paradigm negotiating hybridity and global markets. The research reveals how these paradigms appropriate yet challenge Western epistemologies while articulating alternative knowledge systems. It contributes to postcolonial translation theory by demonstrating how African writers and translators transform English from a tool of cultural domination into a space of epistemic resistance and creative intervention.