Vidyan Ravinthiran

Vidyan Ravinthiran serves as the Gardner Cowles Associate Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of English. Currently on leave during Fall 2023, his office is located in Barker Center 151. His academic journey began with a B.A. from the University of Oxford (2006), followed by an M.A. from the University of Cambridge (2007), and culminated with a Ph.D. from the University of Oxford (2010).

Ravinthiran's scholarly pursuits focus on literary form, post-Romantic thought, poetry and poetics, and South-Asian verse in English. His research bridges traditional literary criticism with contemporary creative expression, particularly examining how poetic form interacts with philosophical concepts and cultural identity. His work demonstrates particular interest in the intersection of British and South Asian literary traditions, exploring how postcolonial contexts reshape poetic expression.

Ravinthiran's publications reveal a distinctive trajectory from scholarly criticism to creative work, with significant contributions in both domains. His critical works often examine canonical figures like Elizabeth Bishop, Ted Hughes, and Saul Bellow through contemporary theoretical lenses, while his poetry collections explore metaphysical themes through innovative formal structures. The analysis of his 15 most recent publications shows consistent engagement with questions of form, identity, and the philosophical dimensions of poetic expression across both critical and creative works.

• Northern Writers Award
• Poetry Book Society Recommendation
• Shortlisted for the Forward Prize
• University English Prize
• Warren-Brooks Award for Literary Criticism
• Shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection
• Shortlisted for the Seamus Heaney Centre Prize for First Full Collection
• Shortlisted for the Michael Murphy Memorial Prize

While specific grant information isn't detailed in the available materials, Ravinthiran's work demonstrates substantial engagement with literary communities through his editorial projects, including significant collections of South Asian poets writing in English. His creative writing appears in prestigious venues including The Guardian, The Nation, and Poetry magazine, indicating recognition within both academic and broader literary circles.