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
