East Timorese Identity as Postcolonial Construct

East Timor became an independent nation on May 20th 2002, following 24 years of Indonesian occupation, and four centuries of Portuguese colonial rule. A literature of resistance to colonization arose during the latter half of the twentieth century, denouncing the iniquities of imperialism, promoting awareness of a Timorese national consciousness, and looking forward to a liberated East Timor. In more recent years, literary efforts have evaluated the success or otherwise of the ongoing construction of the East Timorese nation, comparing the current situation with the visions of a free East Timor contained within the liberation discourse of previous decades.

These literary expressions are both produced by and reflective of a Timorese diaspora that has now reached many countries. They are expressions of a "national" literature that deserves more attention, particularly in its post­ independence aspects, and one that necessitates a proper understanding of the material conditions it reflects. It is a literature that has increasingly asked what position the 'ordinary' Timorese subject occupies in the diasporic postcolonial nation-state, and it is the overall purpose of this project to focus on contemporary Timorese literary production as a means of exploring the changing process of consolidating a Timorese national identity that can encompass not only those living in Timor, but also the wider Timorese diaspora. This project, therefore, will seek to answer the question of what challenges are faced today in the creation of a 'postcolonial' nation that may seek to promote a national identity within a global context.