Jonathan Bolton

Jonathan Bolton is a Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at Harvard University, specializing in Czech literature, history, and cultural studies under Communist regimes. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (2001), an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin (1995), and a B.A. from Harvard University (1990). His research bridges literary studies and history, focusing on dissident movements in East Central Europe, the relationship between literature and political power, and Central European identity.

Key research interests include the political novel, translation of Czech literature, and the interplay between repression and artistic expression. He has authored books such as Worlds of Dissent (2012) and edited/translated collections like In the Puppet Gardens: Selected Poems of Ivan Wernisch (2007). His translations of Petr Hruška’s poetry have appeared in journals like Modern Poetry in Translation and Public Books.

Bolton has received prestigious awards, including the Walter Channing Cabot Fellowship (2012–2013) and fellowships from the Harvard Society of Fellows (2002–2006). He lectures widely, including keynote addresses at institutions like the University of Oxford and UCLA, and serves on editorial boards for journals such as Česká literatura and Estetika.

His teaching spans courses on Czech literature, Central European history, and comparative European literatures. Recent courses include Prague Between Two Empires (2012) and Communism and the Politics of Culture (2013).