This is an invitation to the inner selves of various authors of the Francophone world from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia. Students will acquire a detailed understanding of the relevant strands of current theoretical thinking, and through a close analysis of the texts themselves, will examine recurrent themes and forms in autobiographical writings, including: the representation of identity; the concepts of origins; colonialsism and postcolonialsm; the intersection of race, class and gender; and the textual strategies underpinning these considerations. Finally, we will examine the different ways in which these authors are responding to the Western genre of autobiographical writing: we will assess whether they are conservative in their approaches, innovative or revolutionary. Of significant importance, we will contrast the reception of their autobiographies in their respective countries and in France to understand the failure or success of their enterprise.