Serrano calls for a reassessment of the practice of World Literature with six case studies taken from the Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Korean and Latin American traditions. Although in recent years the field has adopted more inclusive and wide-ranging criteria for college-level anthologies of World Literature, and has seen the collection and publication of critical readers, book-length introductions, and even a history, the theoretical predisposition of most of its practitioners paradoxically has led to a shrinking of its horizons and a narrowing of its vision. Reexamining World Literature asks scholars to look beyond the current dominant definition of World Literature (works in English with broad reach or works in other languages with significant circulation in English translation) in order to engage with a range of complex texts that elude the field’s assumptions. World Literature need not be a we-are-the-world of shared values, but instead should ask readers to question what those values are.

The contentious discourse around world literature tends to stress the ‘world’ in the phrase. This volume, in contrast, asks what it means to approach world literature by inflecting the question of the literary. Debates for, against, and around ‘world literature’ have brought renewed attention to the worldly aspects of the literary enterprise. Literature is studied with regard to its sociopolitical and cultural references, contexts and conditions of production, circulation, distribution, and translation. But what becomes of the literary when one speaks of world literature? Responding to Derek Attridge’s theory of how literature ‘works’, the contributions in this volume explore in diverse ways and with attention to a variety of literary practices what it might mean to speak of ‘the work of world literature’. The volume shows how attention to literariness complicates the ethical and political conundrums at the centre of debates about world literature.

Challenging the notion that Central American literature is a marginal space within Latin American literary and world literary production, this collection positions and discusses Central American literature within the recently revived debates on world literature. This groundbreaking volume draws on new scholarship on global, transnational, postcolonial, translational, and sociological perspectives on the region's literature, expanding and challenging these debates by focusing on the heterogenous literatures of Central America and its diasporas. Contributors discuss poems, testimonios, novels, and short stories in relation to center-periphery, cosmopolitan, and Internationalist paradigms. Central American Literatures as World Literature explores the multiple ways in which Central American literature goes beyond or against the confines of the nation-state, especially through the indigenous, Black, and migrant voices.

This carefully curated collection consists of 16 chapters by leading Polish and world literature scholars from the United States, Canada, Italy, and, of course, Poland. An historical approach gives readers a panoramic view of Polish authors and their explicit or implicit contributions to world literature. Indeed, the volume shows how Polish authors, from Jan Kochanowski in the 16th century to the 2018 Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk, have engaged with their foreign counterparts and other traditions, active participants in the global literary network and the conversations of their day. The volume features views of Polish literature and culture within theories of world literature and literary systems, with a particular attention paid to the resurgence of the idea of the physical book as a cultural artifact. This perspective is especially important since so much of today's global literary output stems from Anglophone perceptions of what constitutes literary quality and tastes. The collection also sheds light on specific issues pertaining to Poland, such as the idea of Polishness, and global phenomena, including social and economic advancement as well as ecological degradation. Some of the authors discussed, like the Romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz or the 1980 Nobel laureate Czeslaw Milosz, were renowned far beyond the borders of their country, while others, like the contemporary travel writer and novelist Andrzej Stasiuk, embrace regionalism, seeing as they do in their immediate surroundings a synecdoche of the world at large. Nevertheless, the picture of Polish literature and Polish authors that emerges from these articles is that of a diverse, cosmopolitan cohort engaged in a mutually rewarding relationship with what the late French critic Pascale Casanova has called “the world republic of letters.”

Reintroduces the concept of “world literature” in a truly global context, transcending past Eurocentrism. The study of world literature is on the rise. Until recently, the term “world literature” was a misnomer in comparative literature scholarship, which typically focused on Western literature in European languages. In an increasingly globalized era, this is beginning to change. In this collection of essays, Zhang Longxi discusses how we can transcend Eurocentrism or any other ethnocentrism and revisit the concept of world literature from a truly global perspective. Zhang considers literary works and critical insights from Chinese and other non-Western traditions, drawing on scholarship from a wide range of disciplines in the humanities, and integrating a variety of approaches and perspectives from both East and West. The rise of world literature emerges as an exciting new approach to literary studies as Zhang argues for the validity of cross-cultural understanding, particularly from the perspective of East-West comparative studies.

Festschrift volume dedicated to Kamjula Venkata Reddy, b. 1939, former Professor of English, Sri Krishnadevaraya University; contributed articles; some previously published.

90 Masterpieces of World Literature (Vol.I) is an expansive anthology that traverses the landscape of global literary achievement, offering readers a comprehensive survey of seminal works that have shaped the ethos of world literature. This collection is marked by an incredible diversity of genres, styles, and themes, reflecting the wide-ranging experiences and historical contexts of its authors. From the existential questions pursued by Dostoevsky and the introspective journey of Proust, to the pioneering adventures penned by Verne and the critical social commentary of Dickens, this anthology showcases the multifaceted nature of human thought and expression. Standout pieces within the volume capture the essence of their time while also speaking to universal themes of love, struggle, freedom, and morality, making the anthology a vibrant tapestry of human experience. The contributors to this volume represent a whos who of historical literary giants, each bringing their unique voice to the collective table. Authors such as Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë offer keen insights into the gender dynamics of their time, while the visionary science fiction of H.G. Wells and the dark romanticism of Edgar Allan Poe present radical departures from the realist tradition, challenging readers to explore new psychological and societal frontiers. The anthology, thereby, not only aligns with various historical, cultural, and literary movements but also weaves a dialogue between these movements, highlighting the evolution of narrative and thought across ages and geographies. These varied voices together enrich the readers understanding of the broad spectrum of human expression and the complexity of the human condition. 90 Masterpieces of World Literature (Vol.I) is an essential volume for anyone seeking to explore the depth and breadth of literary genius across the ages. It offers a unique opportunity to delve into the works that have not only defined but also continuously reshaped the landscape of world literature. Readers are encouraged to immerse themselves in the richness of this collection, discovering within its pages a world of ideas, stories, and perspectives that are at once enlightening, provocative, and boundlessly imaginative. This anthology serves as both a gateway and a guide for those eager to embark on a comprehensive literary journey, making it an invaluable addition to any personal library.

The conventional lineage of World Literature starts with Goethe and moves through Marx, Said, Moretti, and Damrosch, among others. What if there is another way to trace the lineage, starting with Simone de Beauvoir and moving through Hannah Arendt, Assia Djebar, Octavia Butler, Donna Haraway, Karen Barad, and Gayatri Spivak? What ideas and issues get left out of the current foundations that have institutionalized World Literature, and what can be added, challenged, or changed with this tweaking of the referential terminology? Feminism as World Literature redefines the thematic and theoretical contents of World Literature in feminist terms as well as rethinking feminist terms, analyses, frameworks, and concepts in a World Literature context. Other ideas built into World Literature and its criticism are viewed here by feminist framings, including the environment, technology, immigration, translation, work, race, governance, image, sound, religion, affect, violence, media, future, and history. The authors recognize genres, strategies, and themes of World Literature that demonstrate feminism as integral to the world-making gestures of literary form and production. In other words, this volume looks to readings and modes of reading that expose how the historical worldliness of texts allows for feminist interventions that might not sit clearly or comfortably on the surfaces.

The central theme of this volume is the work of Sabahattin Ali, the Turkish author and translator from German into Turkish who achieved posthumous success with his novel Kürk Mantolu Madonna (The Madonna in the Fur Coat). Our contributors analyze this novel, which takes place largely in Germany, and several other texts by Ali in the context of world literature, (cultural) translation, and intertextuality. Their articles go far beyond the intercultural love affair that has typically dominated the discussion of Madonna. Other articles consider Zafer Şenocak’s essay collection Deutschsein and transcultural learning through picture books. An interview with Selim Özdoğan rounds out the issue.

More than just a history book, and perhaps even a romance, this story of the beginnings of CLC International includes the very human, the comic, the daring, the unlikely, and the impossible, in this deadly serious work of taking Christ to the nations through the printed page.