ABOUT

Cristina Nicolini, Ph.D. is a researcher interested in Swahili literature and culture as well as African philosophy. She obtained a PhD degree in “African Languages and Cultures” (SOAS - School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 2021). Her doctoral thesis explores epistemologies and philosophical reflections in Swahili literature dealing with HIV/AIDS from Tanzania.

 Prior to her PhD, she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in “Oriental and African Languages and Cultures – Arabic and Swahili” cum laude (“L’Orientale”, University of Naples 2013); a Master’s degree in “Sciences of Languages, History and Cultures of Mediterranean and Islamic Countries” cum laude (“L’Orientale”, University of Naples 2015); and a II level Master’s degree in “Economics and Institutions of Islamic Countries” cum laude (LUISS Guido Carlo, Rome 2017). In addition, she has published articles in peer reviewed journals and a monograph. 

Research interests and languages

Cristina has conducted extensive research in Swahili literature on HIV/AIDS (Nicolini 2022a; 2022b; 2021b), which is a topic she investigated from the BA to the PhD thesis, through inter and transdisciplinary studies. Furthermore, she conducted research on traditional rituals such as female initiation rites (unyago) in South-East Tanzania (Nicolini 2017; 2021a; 2021c) as well as on Swahili drama and performance (Nicolini 2016). In addition to this, she obtained a vast background knowledge of Arabic literature as well as Islamic studies in Africa and the Middle East (see MA’s degrees). Lastly, she is interested in research not only on plural genres of Swahili literature and African philosophy but also on Anglophone and Francophone literature from Africa.