The Task of a Comparatist

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Although identified as a discipline that is perpetually in a state of crisis, comparative literature has long prided itself for being the nerve center of innovation in global literary studies. This talk is interested in examining questions such as: What is the task of a comparatist in a world where learning new languages and studying literary traditions are not encouraged? Can comparatists utilize translation as a theoretical method and practical tool for expanding the local and global genealogies of comparative literature? How can translation be used to do comparative work in languages known and unknown to us?

About the speaker

Bhavya Tiwari’s research engages with comparative literature, world literature and translation studies. In 2022, her book, Beyond English: World Literature and India (2021), was awarded the Honorable Mention for the Harry Levin Prize, given by the American Comparative Literature Association. In Beyond English, Tiwari radically alters the debates on world literature that hinge on the model of circulation and global capital by deeply engaging with the idea of the world and world-making in South Asia. 

This event is organized by the Global Comparative Humanities Working Group, based in the Center for the Humanities and funded by an Arts & Sciences SPEED Grant.