Rethinking Fanon

Nearly forty years after his death, social philosopher Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) remains a towering intellectual figure.

Born in Guadeloupe and trained as a psychologist in France, Fanon rejected his French citizenship to join the Algerian liberation movement in the 1950s.

A brilliant scholar who developed the theory that some neuroses are socially generated, Fanon's revolutionary works - "The Wretched of the Earth", "Toward the African Revolution", and "Black Skin, White Masks" - spurred an African intellectual awakening.

The rebirth of Fanonism today in universities and the English-speaking world is a testament to his relevance.

Edited by distinguished African-studies professor Nigel C.

Gibson, "Rethinking Fanon" opens with an authoritative biography which corrects fallacious assertions about Fanon's life, situating him in Marxism, Negritude, Pan-Africanism, and the historical context of post-war decolonisation, specifically the Algerian revolution.

Section one is highlighted by extended discussions of Marx, Fanon's theories on sophisticated forms of cultural racism, and 'true liberation'. This excellent collection reflects the continuing impact of Fanon's thought on African-American and African studies, feminism, post-colonialism, and cultural studies.