Dr. des. Khadija Benthami

Khadija Benthami hold a PhD in Francophone and Comparative Literature, completing her thesis under joint supervision between the University of Bayreuth and Mohammed V University in Rabat. Her research, focused on identity quests in Jewish-Maghrebian women’s literature, has allowed her to develop extensive expertise in cultural and literary studies. Alongside Benthami’s academic journey, she has served as the Francophonie Delegate for the Association of French Professors of Canadian Universities and Colleges (APFUCC) since July 2022. Benthami has also worked as a research assistant at the University of Bayreuth, contributing to projects on UNESCO World Heritage and performative memory, as well as translating literary texts.

The present research focuses on Indian literature written in French. This literary field has been relatively unexplored until now, highlighting the cultural links that may exist between France and India. Through a thorough analysis of the evolution of this literature (writing styles, recurring themes, interculturality...), we can better understand its impact on Franco-Indian society. The project focuses on the colonial period, as this literature has garnered significant interest in academic debates and the contemporary literary landscape. Indian authors have been publishing more in recent years, attracting the attention of critics.

This examination of Indian literature in French invites us to question the power dynamics at play in these texts, especially through the lens of marginalization. Indeed, the metaphor of the margin allows us to explore the areas of contact, tension, and hybridity that punctuate postcolonial relations between France and India.

We examine how Indian authors highlight, through their narratives, the metaphor of the margin to describe the complex and conflicted relationship between the center and the periphery, not only at a cultural level but also at an individual one. In this context, the margin is far from being a simple geographical or social marker; it becomes a symbolic space of resistance where one asserts their belonging and self-definition against systems of power often inherited from colonialism.