Scandal as a strategy for exoticism in the works of Calixthe Beyala and Leonora Miano: the role of the literary institution in post/colonial authors

This article examines the role literary scandal has played in the national and international recognition of two Franco-Cameroonian authors, Calixthe Beyala, accused of plagiarism with her novel Les Honneurs perdus (1996), and Leonora Miano, openly criticizing the content of preface to the American edition of L'Interieur de la nuit (2010) which introduced her to an American audience. Drawing from scholars such as Brouillette and Huggan, Brezault ponders if scandal can be seen as an exotic strategy used by the writers themselves to defend their postcolonial specificities, therefore questioning their artistic autonomy in the literary field. How does the market value marginality? Is it used as a means of resistance or as a means of reinvigorating the mainstream culture? This article reflects on scandal used as a commercial industry to promote alterity.