Anne-Lise François is an Associate Professor in Comparative Literature and English at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research explores intersections of literature, philosophy, and political theory, with a focus on themes like uncounted experience, pastoral worldliness, and the ordinary. Key Contribution: Authored the award-winning book Open Secrets: The Literature of Uncounted Experience (Stanford University Press, 2008). Her current project, Provident Improvisers: Parables of Subsistence from Wordsworth to Benjamin , examines figures of provisionality and commonness in literary and philosophical traditions. Scientific Awards ACLA’s René Wellek Award (2010) for Open Secrets .
Claire Battershill is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Faculty of Information and the Department of English at the University of Toronto. She holds a PhD from the University of Toronto and a BA (Hons) from the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the history and future of the book, with a particular emphasis on feminist experimental publishing, literary aesthetics, and 20th/21st-century publishing practices. She is Co-Director of the Modernist Archives Publishing Project (MAPP), a critical digital archive of early 20th-century publishers’ records, and Co-Creator of the SSHRC-funded 'Make Believe' research-creation project. Her publications include Women and Letterpress Printing: Gendered Impressions (2022) and Using Digital Humanities in the Classroom (2022). Dr. Battershill has held prestigious roles such as Wendy M. Cecil Professor in VicOne at Victoria College and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She has secured grants including the SSHRC Impact Award (2017) and funding from the Canada Council for the Arts. Her teaching spans courses like INF2228H (The Future of Things: Digitization and Remediation) and BKS1002H (Book History in Practice), blending theory with hands-on engagement in digital humanities and book studies. Her research interests span digital humanities pedagogy, collaborative publishing projects, and the intersection of feminist theory with material book culture. She actively contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives like the Critical Digital Humanities Initiative (CDHI) at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Tim Clarke is an Assistant Professor and Associate Director of Student Support in the Foundation Year Program at the University of King's College. He holds a PhD in English from the University of Ottawa (2018), focusing on Spinoza’s philosophical influence on 19th- and 20th-century American literature. His research bridges literature and philosophy, particularly modernist vitalism, decadence, and affect theory. Education: BA in English and Historical Studies, Memorial University of Newfoundland (2011) MA in English, Queen’s University (2012) PhD in English, University of Ottawa (2018) Research Focus: Dr. Clarke explores intersections of literary modernism with continental philosophy, emphasizing decadence, vitalist thought, and death’s role in literature. His current project, Morbid Vitalism , examines how modernism synthesizes life-affirming and death-oriented ideas through the decadent tradition. He has published on Djuna Barnes’s Nightwood and co-translated works by Brazilian geographer Milton Santos. Teaching & Engagement: He teaches courses like After the End: The Idea of Decadence and Reflections on Death , blending critical theory with contemporary aesthetics. His translations and co-edited volumes on Milton Santos highlight global Southern perspectives in geography and sociology.
Lyndsay Campbell is a Professor at the University of Calgary, cross-appointed between the Faculty of Law and the Department of History in the Faculty of Arts. Her work bridges Canadian and American legal history, comparative law, and constitutional studies. Ph.D., Jurisprudence and Social Policy, University of California, Berkeley (2008) Master of Law, University of British Columbia (1999) J.D., University of British Columbia (1995) M.A., English Literature, University of Toronto (1991) B.A., English Literature, University of British Columbia (1990) Campbell's research focuses on Canadian and American legal history , libel law , constitutionalism , and imperial legalities . Her work examines intersections between legal and extralegal regulatory strategies, comparative approaches to law, and 19th-century Canadian constitutionalism. Current projects include an edited collection on Legal Histories of Empire with Shaunnagh Dorsett. Her publications analyze legal histories of censorship , racial justice in law , and gender-related legal frameworks . Recent work includes the 2022 monograph Truth and Privilege and the 2020 co-edited open-access volume Canada’s Legal Past . Fellow, Constitutional Law and History Program, University of California, Berkeley (2008) William Nelson Cromwell Fellowship in Legal History (2007) Dean's Normative Time Fellowship, UC Berkeley (2004) Regents Intern Fellowship (2001) Osgoode Society Legal History Prize (1998) SSHRC doctoral fellowship (1997) Campbell teaches courses in Canadian and American history, legal theory, and the undergraduate Law and Society program. She previously practiced law in British Columbia and clerked for justices at the British Columbia Court of Appeal.
Lady Rojas Benavente is an Associate Professor in the Department of Classics, Modern Languages and Linguistics at Concordia University, where she has been teaching since her appointment as Assistant Professor in 1996, with promotion to Associate Professor in May 2003. Prior to joining Concordia, she served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Ottawa and as a lecturer at the Faculty of Education at The University of Western Ontario, where she taught second language methodology, French and Spanish. Dr. Rojas Benavente received her PhD in Hispanic Literature from the University Laval in 1991, following an MA in Spanish Literatures (Cum Laude, 1985) and BA in History and Spanish (1983), both from the University of Ottawa. She also holds a Diploma qualifying as a Secondary School teacher specializing in Spanish Language and Literature, Psychology and Philosophy from the National Pedagogic University of Women in Lima, Peru (Cum Laude, 1968). Her research focuses on Critical Feminism in Peruvian & Latin-American Women Writers, with special emphasis on contemporary Peruvian and Mexican narrative, drama, poetry and essay. Her work encompasses Cultural Studies and Literary and Critical Theories, Latin American History, Post-colonialism, Human Rights, Women Studies, Feminist Theories, Gender Issues, Latin America Black History, Indigenous and Minorities Studies, and Comparative Studies in Education. She has published nine books (two poetry collections and seven critical interpretations) and over 50 refereed papers in Latin American Women's literary work, particularly focusing on Peruvian and Mexican authors. Dr. Rojas Benavente's scholarly output demonstrates consistent engagement with themes of gender, ethnicity, and power structures in Latin American literature. Her recent publications explore the works of contemporary Peruvian women writers, examining how they address issues of violence, racism, and gender in post-independence national contexts. Her research trajectory reveals a deepening focus on decolonial perspectives, indigenous resistance, and the intersection of gender with other social categories. Hispanic Literary and Cultural Institute's Honor Diploma (2010) Publication Award from the University of New Brunswick for the Anthology, Constructing Memory: Latino-Canadian Women Writers in the New Millennium Recognition by Mouvement Desjardins in celebration of International Women's Day (2008) As president of the Society for Literary Criticism of Spanish American Women Writers' work (CCLEH), Dr. Rojas Benavente has facilitated connections between Concordia colleagues, local artists, international writers, and the Latino-Montreal community. She serves on the editorial boards of Alba de America, a literary magazine from the United States, and Voces, a Peruvian cultural magazine. Her leadership extends to organizing numerous conferences on Latin American women writers across Canada, Latin America, and Montreal, including multiple meetings of Hispano-Canadian Women Writers and events commemorating significant figures in Latin American literature.
Luca Somigli is a Professor at the University of Toronto, holding the Emilio Goggio Chair in Italian Studies. His research focuses on European and Italian modernism, avant-garde movements, futurism, detective fiction, genre literature, and comics. Born in Florence, he earned a Laurea from the Università degli Studi di Firenze and a PhD in Comparative Literature from SUNY Stony Brook. Educational Background: PhD, State University of New York at Stony Brook Laurea, Università degli Studi di Firenze Luca's scholarship explores tensions between modernism and postmodernism, colonial narratives in Italian crime fiction, and the intersection of visual narratives with cultural themes. His recent publications include co-edited volumes on futurism and modernism, alongside articles analyzing authors like Marinetti, Pirandello, and Camilleri. Key research trends include: Colonialism in Italian historical fiction Symbolist and avant-garde artistic movements Visual storytelling in comics and film The legacy of fascist ideology in literature Scientific awards highlight his contributions: the 2019 Visiting Scholar at Université de Haute-Alsace and the 2003 American Association for Italian Studies Book Award. Luca has co-authored works with scholars like Federico Luisetti and Eleonora Conti, and his conference presentations address neomodernist novels and modernist historiography. He serves as Chair of the Department of Italian Studies (2021-present) and previously as Associate Chair – Graduate (2020-2021).
John Zilcosky is a Professor of German and Comparative Literature at the University of Toronto. He specializes in modern European literature, psychoanalysis, trauma studies, travel writing, and the history/philosophy of sports. His affiliations include the Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures and the Centre for European and Eurasian Studies. Zilcosky has authored influential books like Kafka’s Travels (winner of the MLA Scaglione Prize) and Uncanny Encounters , exploring themes such as colonialism, trauma, and literary theory. He has received prestigious awards including the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Prize and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His research bridges interdisciplinary fields, examining literary responses to trauma, sport narratives, and temporalities. Zilcosky’s grants include SSHRC funding and NEH support, reflecting his impactful contributions to scholarship. He currently teaches courses on Kafka, Sebald, and modernist literature, maintaining an active role in academic leadership, including honorary presidency of the International Comparative Literature Association’s Literary Theory committee.
Tamara L. Mitchell is an Assistant Professor of Spanish at the University of British Columbia, located in Vancouver. She is affiliated with the Department of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies within the Faculty of Arts. Her research focuses on 20th- and 21st-century Latin American literatures and cultures, with a particular emphasis on Mexican and Central American narrative fiction. She explores the intersections of aesthetics, politics, and literary tradition under advanced capitalism, as well as sound studies, political philosophy, and border/diaspora studies. Education: Ph.D., Latin American Literatures, Indiana University (2019) M.A., Spanish Literature, University of Kansas (2009) B.A., English Literature and Spanish, Washburn University (2006) Research Interests: Her work examines postnational literary forms in the neoliberal present, with current projects including a monograph on Novel Distortions: Postnational Form in Mexican and Central American Narrative and a second project on sound and extraction in Mexican literature. She co-edited a special issue on 'Latin American Literary Aurality' and has been commissioned to write a thematic review on Latin American sound studies. Awards and Grants: SSHRC Insight Grant (2024–2029) Dean of Arts Graduate Mentorship Award (2023) Hampton New Faculty Research Grant (UBC) Multiple SSHRC and travel grants Teaching and Mentorship: She teaches courses on Latin American literatures and cultures, and has mentored undergraduate and graduate researchers. Currently not accepting new graduate students. Labs/Teams: Organized conferences and workshops, including The Sounds of Latin American Literature (2022) and co-founded panels on sound studies and Latin American literature at international conferences.
Ilinca Iurascu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies (CENES) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), affiliated with the Faculty of Arts. Her research focuses on intersections between cultural studies and media theory, with a particular emphasis on histories of materiality, technology, and German and European literary cultures. She teaches courses on critical theory, media history, and 19th- and 20th-century literature and cinema. Her work explores topics like paper studies, Weimar cinema, New German media theory, and the material dimensions of literary and cultural practices. Notable projects include co-editing Operation Valhalla: Writings on War, Weapons, and Media (2021) and translating The Server: A Media History from the Present to the Baroque (2018). She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (2008). Iurascu’s publications span peer-reviewed articles in journals like Seminar and German Studies Review , as well as edited volumes on media inventories and cultural techniques. Her teaching includes courses such as GMST 274: The Frankfurt School and seminars on German literature and critical theory.
Camille Owens is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at McGill University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts. Her research focuses on race, childhood, disability, and archival methodologies, with a particular emphasis on African American literature and Black feminisms. She holds a Ph.D. from Yale University and a B.A. from Harvard University, where she graduated summa cum laude. Owens’ work challenges historical narratives about childhood’s universality by centering Black children’s experiences and contributions. Her book Like Children: Black Prodigy and the Measure of the Human in America (2024) rethinks the intersections of race, developmental schemas, and ableism in 19th-century America. Education Ph.D., M.Phil., M.A., Yale University (African American Studies and American Studies) B.A., summa cum laude, Harvard University (History & Literature and Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies) Awards & Honors Junior Fellow, Harvard Society of Fellows (2020–2023) 1921 Prize in American Literature (2022) Ralph Henry Gabriel Dissertation Prize (2020) Sylvia Ardyn Boone Dissertation Prize (2020) Owens teaches courses on Black studies, Indigenous literatures, disability studies, and archival theory. Her research bridges literary analysis with historical critique, emphasizing marginalized voices in archives and cultural production.
Edward Jones-Imhotep is a historian of the social and cultural life of machines and currently a Professor and Director of the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST) at the University of Toronto’s Victoria College. He is on leave as Director during 2025-26 but remains an active faculty member. PhD, Harvard University Co-editor, MIT Press’s Inside Technology series Visiting Professor, University of Paris (Panthéon-Assas) Co-founder, Toronto TechnoScience Salon His research explores the historical boundaries between technology and nature, and the relationship between machines and the self, with a focus on underrepresented histories such as the Black technological self, technological underground, and failures of technology. His work bridges Science and Technology Studies (STS), History of the Modern Physical Sciences, History of Technology, and Cultural History of Technology. Notable trends in his articles include analyses of automata, AI, and mechanical failures from the 19th to 21st centuries, alongside interdisciplinary inquiries into race, ethics, and the Cold War. He frequently collaborates with scholars like William Turkel and Tina Adcock. 2018 : Sidney Edelstein Prize for The Unreliable Nation 2017 : Abbot Payson Usher Prize for “Malleability and Machines” Edward co-edits the Inside Technology series and engages with public discourse through the TechnoScience Salon. His projects, such as The Black Androids , connect historical technological narratives to contemporary debates in robotics and AI. Labs and teams include the IHPST and the TechnoScience Salon, which facilitate humanities-based science and technology discussions.
Peter Hodgins is an Associate Professor at Carleton University's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, with a focus on Canadian public history and cultural critique. He holds degrees from the University of Ottawa (B.A.) and Carleton University (M.A., Ph.D.), and serves as a Research Associate at the Carleton Centre for Public History. Academic Rank: Associate Professor University: Carleton University Research Affiliation: Carleton Centre for Public History Research Interests: Dr. Hodgins specializes in analyzing how memory, nationalism, and colonial legacy intersect in Canadian cultural production. His work explores: Politics and poetics of public memory Canadian cultural nationalism Settler colonial intellectual histories Haunted landscapes and affective memory Critical analysis of national identity formation Subversion of romantic/extractive gazes in contemporary art Publication Trends: His publications reveal sustained engagement with: Decolonizing historical narratives Media representation of national trauma Language politics in francophone-anglophone dynamics Artistic interventions in memory studies Historiography of Canadian institutions Critical theory applications to Canadian contexts
Professor Joshua S. Mostow is a scholar of pre-modern Japanese literature and art, specializing in text-image relationships, Heian-period studies, and gendered cultural constructions. He holds a professorship at the University of British Columbia’s Department of Asian Studies (Faculty of Arts), where he also serves as Acting Director of Language Programs. Mostow earned his doctorate in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory from the University of Pennsylvania, with additional studies at International Christian University (Tokyo), Université de Paris, and Gakushuin University. His career includes visiting roles at institutions like Heidelberg University and the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on intersections of literature and visual arts, particularly in Japanese pre-modern contexts. Key interests include the ideological construction of the Heian period, women’s writing traditions, and the role of sexuality in cultural identity. Major works include *Courtly Visions: The Ise Stories and the Politics of Cultural Appropriation* (2014) and *Pictures of the Heart: The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image* (1996). He has received prestigious awards such as the Japan Foreign Minister’s Commendation (2017) and induction into the Royal Society of Canada (2015). Mostow has authored/co-authored over 20 books, edited volumes, and numerous articles across Japanese literature, art history, and cultural studies. His work spans medieval commentaries, Edo-period print culture, and modern reception histories. He frequently lectures internationally on topics like gender representation in classical texts and the visual legacy of *The Tale of Genji*. Grants and fellowships include support from the Sainsbury Institute, Japan Foundation, and SSHRC (Canada). His contributions to Japanese studies include co-editing *The Columbia Companion to Modern East Asian Literature* (2003) and curating exhibitions on Rinpa aesthetics and Edo-period shunga. Scholarly activities further include invited lectures at institutions worldwide and participation in major international conferences.
Magdalena Kay is a Professor and Honours Program Adviser in the Department of English at the University of Victoria. She has been teaching since 2007, specializing in contemporary British, Irish, and Polish poetry, comparative literature, and poetics. Her research explores the complex interplay between form, cultural context, and identity in poetry. Education: She earned a B.A. (magna cum laude) in English from Harvard University (1999) and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Berkeley (2007). Teaching: Her courses cover modern and contemporary British and Irish literature, including seminars on practical criticism, Modernism, and the poetry of Seamus Heaney. She has taught both undergraduate and graduate-level courses, emphasizing close reading and comparative analysis. Research Interests: Kay’s work focuses on 20th- and 21st-century poetry, particularly examining how Eastern European poets like Czesław Miłosz and Zbigniew Herbert influence Irish and British writers. She investigates themes of belonging, cultural displacement, and the ethical dimensions of poetic form. Publications: Her monographs include Poetry Against the World (2012) and In Gratitude for All the Gifts (2012), which analyze the transnational connections between poets. Recent articles explore the aesthetics of Seamus Heaney, the legacy of Philip Larkin, and the cross-cultural dialogues shaping modern poetry. Advising & Engagement: As Honours Program Adviser, Kay mentors students in advanced literary studies. Her work also extends to co-creating The Close Reading of Poetry , a resource for students and educators.
Angie Chau is an Associate Professor in Pacific and Asian Studies at the University of Victoria (on study leave until July 2025). She specializes in modern and contemporary Chinese literature, film, and visual culture, with a focus on transnational contexts, new media, and science fiction. Her research bridges cultural studies, gender analysis, and translation studies, exploring themes such as identity, globalization, and artistic innovation. Educational Background: PhD, University of California, San Diego MA, New York University BA, University of California, Berkeley Research Interests: Transnational Chinese literature and film New media and digital culture Science fiction as world literature GENDER AND MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS Visual art and cultural translation Key Publications: Dr. Chau’s work includes the book Paris and the Art of Transposition (2023), analyzing Sino-French cultural exchanges, and peer-reviewed articles in Modern Chinese Literature and Culture , Concentric , and Feminist Media Studies . Her research explores topics ranging from modern Chinese women’s imagery to the global reception of Chinese science fiction. Teaching and Engagement: She teaches courses on Chinese literature, film, and cultural theory, including Gender and Marriage in Chinese Popular Media and Chinese Literature as World Literature . Her academic contributions reflect a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches to Asian studies.
