Tremblings in the distinction between fiction and testimony

Abstract

Fiction as a genre not only tends to be disregarded as testimony, fiction and testimony are often seen as mutually exclusive. By using a Derridean model of testimony, I aim to break down the division between fiction and testimony and to show that literary fiction can make a valuable contribution to the testimonial engagement with past traumas. Over the course of this article it will emerge that trauma plays a central role in breaking down the distinction between fiction and testimony. I will demonstrate how Derrida's theory can be applied to key scenes from Yvonne Vera's novel Under the Tongue, thus enabling one to read this fictional work as a testimony to Zimbabwe's violent past and present.