Juan Esteban Plaza

The Accursed Shore is an original and highly relevant project that makes a significant contribution to Cuban studies and to broader debates in Black studies, environmental humanities, and affect theory. Its main strength lies in its innovative rethinking of Afrocubanness through horror, emotion, and the nature/culture divide, supported by an unusually rich and interdisciplinary archive. The proposal convincingly challenges nationalist narratives of racial inclusion and offers a coherent genealogical methodology across key historical periods. The project’s scope is ambitious and theoretically dense, which may pose risks of analytical overload; nevertheless, the clear structure, well-defined work packages, and strong methodological grounding make the project feasible and intellectually compelling.