Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women’s University
Department of English and Department of Marathi
in Collaboration with
Calcutta Comparatists 1919 are
Organizing
A Virtual Three-Day International Conference
On
Comparative Literature: Frames, Methods and Practice
4th – 6th March 2022
Concept Note
For its linguistic polyphony and cultural syncretism, India is one of the most curious literary sites to the comparatists. Indian Literature, since its very beginning, carries imprints of thoughts from different Parampara (traditions). Each Indian Literature is grounded within its own literary, historical and cultural receptions from other literary traditions. In essence, any singular Indian literature is never single but comparative by nature. Due to shared access to English and the recorded histories of colonial modernity, Indian literary traditions find more common ‘comparative’ grounds with English or European Literature than Indian literary traditions and texts.
Despite the obvious scope of comparative frameworks in reading Indian literary practices, monolingual literary scholarship in Indian literature has flourished. Comparative approaches in the Indian context continue to be mediated through English largely in the form of translations. Comparative study of Indian Literature can be done best by establishing communications among people with expertise in multiple Indian languages and English. Gradual paradigm shifts in literary studies in different literature departments in India also promotes comparative approaches though not always in the name of Comparative Literature. It often presents itself as ‘Indian Literature’, 'Indian Literature in Translation’, 'Indian Literature in English Translation', 'Literatures of the South-Asis', 'Marginal Literatures' or by introducing literary area studies, like 'North-East Indian Literature', etc. Moreover, various new approaches from social sciences also provoke comparative study of literature. The likes of Dalit Literature, Partition Literature, Literature of Migration, Minority Discourses, etc, often engage in comparative methodologies.
Comparative Literature as a discipline re-examines the established canon of literature by historicising the literary system and establishing access into the source language of the origin of the texts and translations. Dialogue with source language in a literary study is required for foregrounding a text within and outside a particular knowledge system. That can be done best with a liberal study of literature in different disciplines. By the liberal study of Literature, we do not mean relinquishing single literature disciplines but establishing an easy dialogue between multiple traditions.
In the past few decades, literary practices have undergone momentous changes to actively challenge forms of ‘reading’ literature. This has meant that literatures often do not remain in their sanitized quarters but seek dialogues with multiplicitous literary practices and disciplines. As literatures broaden, mutate and expand we probably need to revisit ways and means of ‘doing’ comparative literature. This means re-thinking terms of exchange between various literary practices, revisiting comparative frameworks, reworking methodologies of ‘reading’ comparative networks. This conference is aimed at drawing from the complex intellectual history of comparative literature studies in India to respond to the growing need for new methods, frames and practices of comparative approaches.
Call for Papers
A 300 word abstract of papers on the proposed concept is invited from the students, scholars and teachers from different fields by 10th February 2022. The papers for presentation should be no longer than 15 minutes followed by 5 minutes discussion. Besides, individual presentations, we also seek proposals for special panels on Comparative Literature. The first institutional comparative study of literature was conceptualised and introduced in India by Sir Asutosh Mookerjee in 1919 at the University of Calcutta. This conference pays homage to the pioneer of the discipline by naming a panel to discuss his idea and legacy. There will be a special panel called, “Sir Asutosh Mookerjee Panel on Comparative Indian Language and Literature in Single Literature Discipline” by Calcutta Comparatists 1919. Prof. Tutun Mukherjee, taught Comparative Literature, at the University of Hyderabad and contributed a lot in the discipline from South India. Her untimely demise is observed as an immense loss to the discipline. This conference also pays homage to Prof. Mukherjee by introducing a panel on her contribution. Another special panel called “Professor Tutun Mukherjee Memorial Panel on Comparative Literature” also will be there.
Apart from these two panels, we will have several other panels. Panel proposal of 500 words on the relevant topic may be sent for a 45 minutes presentation followed by 15 minutes discussion. Each panel may contain 3 to 5 members. The papers may be focused on but not limited to the below-mentioned areas:
- Comparative Literature in India and/or Comparative Indian Literature
- Comparative Literature as a Course in a Single Literature Discipline
- Comparative Literature as an Approach in the Single Literature Discipline
- Single Literature as Comparative Literature
- Bhakti and Sufi Traditions of India
- Digital Humanities and Comparative literature
- History of Translation of Indian Literature into Indian Language/s
- Indian Literature in English Translation and scope for Comparative Literature
- Publishing Industry in India and Corpus of Indian Literature
- Works on Comparative Literature in Indian Languages
- Dalit Literature as/and Comparative Literature
- Literature of Migration and Comparative Literature
The papers will be accepted in English, Bangla, Hindi and Marathi only. All the abstracts and queries related to the conference should be addressed to comparativeliterature2022@gmail.com . Authors of the selected papers will be intimated by 15th February 2022 through an email. All the paper presenters and registered participants will be given a certificate for presentations/ participation. Full paper should be 5000 to 7000 words long excluding bibliography, notes, and bio. Author should follow MLA 7th edition for style sheet and end notes instead of footnotes. Full papers for peer-review for publication in a book to be published by a reputed international publishing house must be submitted by 15th March 2022. Selected authors will be informed of the review result by 15th April 2022. The final manuscript will be forwarded to the publisher by 7th May 2022. Papers written in English only will be considered for this proposed book on Comparative Literature. Please note that No Extension about submitting papers at any stage will be entertained.
Registration
There is no registration fee for the students, scholars and teachers of SNDTW University. Paper presenters from outside the university are required to pay registration fees as follows: Participants (not presenters)- 150/-, MA- 150/-, PhD Scholars and Independent Researchers- 400/-, Faculty Members 700/-. The registration fee is the same for Indian and South Asian participants. Participants from outside South Asia requires to pay 30 US dollars as a registration fee. Registration fees should be deposited in the account of Calcutta Comparatists 1919. Registration details will be provided once the candidate is selected to present a paper at the conference.
Coordinators
Dr Aruna Dubhashi, Head and Associate Professor, Dept. of Marathi, SNDTWU
Dr Dhrupadi Chattopadhyay, Head and Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, SNDTWU
Dr Manisha Ghatage, Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, SNDTWU
Dr Mrinmoy Pramanick, Assistant Professor, Calcutta University and President, Calcutta Comparatists 1919
Dr Mrinmoy Pramanick, Assistant Professor, Calcutta University and President, Calcutta Comparatists 1919Dr Mrinmoy Pramanick, Assistant Professor, Calcutta University and President, Calcutta Comparatists 1919
comparativeliterature2022@gmail.com
