From nineteenth-century antislavery pamphleteering to accounts of ecological catastrophe in twenty-first-century fiction, Haitian literature has resounded across the globe since the nation's revolutionaries declared independence in 1804. Starting with pre-revolutionary writing, including the emergence of Haitian Creole letters, extending to the long, largely francophone nineteenth century, and concluding with present-day Haitian writing in the English language, A History of Haitian Literature presents the political, cultural, and historical frameworks necessary to comprehend Haiti's vast literary output. Whether writing in Haiti or its wide-ranging diasporas, Haitian authors have boldly contributed to pressing conversations in global letters while reflecting Haiti's unique cultural and historical experiences. Considering an expansive array of poets, playwrights, and novelists – such as Baron de Vastey, Juste Chanlatte, Demesvar Delorme, Edwidge Danticat, René Depestre, Kettly Mars, Dany Laferrière, and Évelyne Trouillot – the contributors to this volume offer a fresh examination of a richly polyglot, transnational literary tradition that spans more than two centuries.

Winner, 2026 Rene Wellek Prize, American Comparative Literature Association

‘This volume spans Haitian literature from postrevolutionary pamphlets to 20th-century poetry, plays, and prose, exploring the literature that developed in and about Haiti … A History of Haitian Literature also skillfully centers women, the environment, identity, Marxism, and the Creole language. To ground the literature visually, the volume includes several archival images and historical manuscripts that reflect Haiti’s literary tradition … Recommended.’

D. M. Jarrett Source: Choice