Michael Lucey is the Sidney and Margaret Ancker Chair and Distinguished Professor of French and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. His work bridges French literature from the 19th to 21st centuries with social theory, sexuality studies, and linguistic anthropology. He has authored the critically acclaimed What Proust Heard: Novels and the Ethnography of Talk (2022) and Thinking about Sexuality with Novels (forthcoming). As founding director of the Center for the Study of Sexual Culture , he has shaped interdisciplinary research in queer theory and gender studies. Current research focuses on novels as ethnographic tools Specializes in Proust, Balzac, Woolf, and contemporary French fiction Translation work includes Didier Eribon and Édouard Louis His recent articles explore phonetics in narrative, readability frameworks, and sociological implications of literary form. He actively engages with comparative methodologies and critical theory, while his teaching spans British and American literature’s intersections with French modernism. Lucey’s academic leadership includes directing Berkeley’s Center for the Study of Sexual Culture, which supports global discourse through fellowships and conferences. His office hours are held in Dwinelle Hall and via Zoom. Contact: mlucey@berkeley.edu
Dr. Luisa Calè is a Professor of Romantic and Nineteenth-Century Literature & Visual Culture and Research Lead at Birkbeck, University of London. She holds degrees from the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' (1993), University of Genoa (1997), and the University of Oxford (M.St. 1998, D.Phil 2002). Her research explores the interplay between literature and visual/material culture, focusing on book history, intermediality, and practices of reading/collecting. Her Leverhulme Trust-funded project 'The Book Unbound' examines how works by Blake, Walpole, and Dickens subverted traditional book formats. Education: PhD in Literary Studies, University of Genoa (1997) D.Phil., University of Oxford (2002) M.St. in English, University of Oxford (1998) Letters Degree, University of Rome (1993) Her research interests include Romantic aesthetics, material texts, and critical disciplinarity. Notable publications include Fuseli’s Milton Gallery (2006) and co-edited volumes like Dante on View (2007). She edits Blake/An Illustrated Quarterly and serves on editorial boards for Word & Image and Romantic Circles Gallery . Recent awards include a Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship (2019) and a Mercator Fellowship (2018-19). She supervises graduate students in Romantic literature, material culture, and book history.
Nathan Wainstein is an Assistant Professor in the English Department at the University of Utah's College of Humanities, where he has been teaching since July 2023. His academic work bridges literary studies with contemporary digital media, particularly focusing on video game aesthetics alongside modernist literature. Wainstein maintains an active scholarly presence through publications, editorial work, and his podcast "Authors Die Twice" co-hosted with Bryan Counter. Wainstein's educational background includes: PhD from Stanford University (2013-2020) BA from Swarthmore College (2007-2011) His research interests span video game aesthetics, modernism, the novel, literary theory, narrative theory, and the intersection of literature and philosophy. Wainstein approaches these fields with a particular focus on paradox, difficulty, and aesthetic experiences that challenge conventional interpretations. His work often examines how seemingly simple literary devices like light descriptions can reveal deeper theoretical tensions within texts. Wainstein's recent publications demonstrate a consistent trajectory exploring the boundaries of literary aesthetics, from his analysis of James Joyce's photomimesis to his examination of narrative glitches in Faulkner's work. His scholarship connects historical literary theory with contemporary concerns, particularly in how he applies these frameworks to video game analysis. The upcoming book "Grant Us Eyes: The Art of Paradox in Bloodborne" exemplifies this interdisciplinary approach, bridging literary criticism with video game studies. Wainstein has held prestigious postdoctoral positions including an ACLS Emerging Voices Fellowship at the University of Utah and a Stanford Humanities and Sciences Dean's Fellowship. As an educator, Wainstein teaches innovative courses that reflect his research interests, including "On Difficulty," "Aesthetics of Violence in Video Games and Literature," "Games with Time," and "Videogame Storytelling." His teaching philosophy appears to emphasize the connections between traditional literary studies and contemporary digital media forms.
Robert Kaufman is a Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. He holds a B.A. (1979), J.D. (1982), and Ph.D. (1995) from UC Berkeley. Prior to academia, he practiced labor and employment law. His career includes positions at McGill University, Stanford University (where he was an Assistant Professor of English and affiliated with German Studies and Modern Thought & Literature), and visiting roles at the University of Chicago and UC Berkeley. He has held fellowships including Stanford Humanities Center, Hellman Family, and Institute of International Studies. He co-chairs Berkeley's Program in Critical Theory. His research focuses on 20th-21st century American poetry, Latin American poetry, Romantic-era poetics, Frankfurt School Critical Theory, and aesthetic philosophy. Key projects include Negative Romanticism: Adornian Aesthetics in Keats, Shelley, and Modern Poetry , and studies on César Vallejo, Paul Celan, and Robert Duncan. His work bridges Marxist theory, lyric form, and sociopolitical critique. Kaufman's essays analyze Adorno's influence on modern poetry, the ethics of lyric form, and intersections between poetry and democracy. His recent work engages postmodernism's aftermath and contemporary political crises. He frequently collaborates on translation projects and public humanities initiatives, including events on Paul Celan's centenary.
Beth Piatote is an Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. She holds a PhD in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University and is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Nez Perce). Her work bridges scholarly and creative realms, focusing on Indigenous literature, law, language revitalization, and cultural studies. Education: PhD in Modern Thought and Literature (Stanford University). Research interests include Native American legal systems, Nez Perce language preservation, global Indigenous literatures, and creative writing. She co-founded and chairs Berkeley’s Designated Emphasis in Indigenous Language Revitalization and directs the Arts Research Center, where she leads the Indigenous Poetics Lab. Her publications include Domestic Subjects: Gender, Citizenship, and Law in Native American Literature (2013) and the short story collection The Beadworkers (2019), which received multiple literary recognitions. Her plays Antíkoni and Tricksters, Unite! explore Indigenous narratives through performance. Awards include MLA honorable mentions, PEN/Bingham Prize longlistings, and a 2020 Playwrights Retreat win. Current projects involve a scholarly monograph on sensory representations of Indigenous law and creative works in poetry and essays.
Vincent J. Cheng is a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Utah, holding appointments since July 2019. He previously served at the University of Southern California (1979–2019) in roles including Professor of English and Director of Asian American Studies. His academic leadership includes directing the Tanner Humanities Center (2003–2007). Cheng specializes in modernist literature, particularly James Joyce, with research focusing on cultural memory, national identity, and postcolonial studies. He has authored influential works like Amnesia and the Nation and edited volumes on Joyce’s legacy. Recognized for teaching excellence, he received the Calvin S. and JeNeal Hatch Prize in Teaching (2024) and the Distinguished Teaching Award (2014). Cheng’s research integrates philosophy, history, and literature, exploring themes like migration, empathy, and ethical remembrance. His recent work analyzes Joyce’s treatment of memory and history, connecting Irish and American Southern narratives. He also contributes to Joyce Studies Annual and serves on editorial boards for Western Humanities Review . Teaching-wise, he leads advanced seminars on literary studies and British writers, guiding Ph.D. thesis research. Award highlights include the Fulbright Scholar Award (2015) and the Carole & Gordon Segal Visiting Chair in Irish Studies (2014). He remains active in community outreach, such as presenting Joyce’s Dubliners to high school students. His interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis with cultural and ethical inquiry.
Ramsey McGlazer is an Associate Professor specializing in twentieth-century European and Latin American literature, film, and critical theory. His research engages with poetry, politics-aesthetics intersections, critical carceral studies, and feminist/queer/psychoanalytic frameworks. He holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature and Critical Theory from UC Berkeley (2015) and previously taught at the University of St Andrews and Brown University’s Pembroke Center. McGlazer’s work interrogates modernist critiques of progress, radical psychiatry movements, and the interplay between aesthetic practices and institutional critique. His acclaimed monograph Old Schools: Modernism, Education, and the Critique of Progress (2020) won the American Association for Italian Studies First Book Prize. Current projects include The Clinic and its Double , exploring mid-century radical psychiatry and avant-garde art. He serves as Senior Editor of Critical Times and Coeditor of Italian Culture , and has translated key works like Rita Segato’s The War Against Women . McGlazer’s writing appears in venues such as Los Angeles Review of Books and n+1 . Research interests span Surrealist provocations, Brazilian artist Lygia Clark’s propositions, and transnational feminist solidarities. His scholarship bridges literary analysis with critical engagements in carceral studies, postcolonial theory, and decolonial thought.
Martin Procházka is Professor of English, American, and Comparative Literature at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague. He holds visiting roles at the University of Porto and the University of Kent, including Honorary Visiting Professor since 2021. His research spans Intercultural communication Romanticism Comparative literature Scottish literature American colonial literature , with a focus on authorship, adaptation studies, and the intersections of European Romanticism with Czech cultural contexts. Procházka's recent publications include the 2024 edited book From Shakespeare to Autofiction , which critically engages with Roland Barthes and Michel Foucault's theories of authorship, and the 2022 theoretical work on autopoietic systems and intercultural communication. His scholarship often bridges historical and contemporary debates, such as in the 2021 Romanticism and Periodisation roundtable. He has received the Comenius Medal (1992) for educational research and led the H2020 MSCA ITN European Joint Doctorate Migration and Modernity (MOVES) from 2018 to 2023. Procházka also served as President of the Czech Association for the Study of English (2004-2014) and on the Advisory Board of the International Association of Byron Societies (1999-2024). As founding editor of the Scopus-indexed journal Litteraria Pragensia , he has shaped academic discourse on literary theory and comparative studies. His work on Scottish Enlightenment and Czech modernist reception of William Blake highlights his interdisciplinary approach.
Emilio Sauri is a Professor in the Department of English at the University of Massachusetts Boston. His expertise spans American literature, Latin American literature, critical theory, and photography, with a focus on literature’s relationship to the global economy from the 19th to 21st centuries. PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago BA, Northwestern University Sauri's research examines literature and visual art in the context of globalization, capitalism, and cultural theory. He is currently working on a monograph titled *Imperial Decay: Literature, Autonomy and the End of Modernization in the Americas* (under contract with Northwestern University Press). His prior editorial work includes co-editing *Literature and the Global Contemporary* (Palgrave, 2017) and *Literary Materialisms* (Palgrave, 2013), alongside a special issue of *nonsite* on Latin American literature and theory. His recent publications explore intersections of literature with global capitalism, materialism, and postmodernism, often analyzing Latin American and U.S. texts. Notable topics include the labor of the novel, economic value in contemporary Mexican fiction, and critiques of modernization in Bolaño’s works. Fulbright Fellow, University of São Paulo, Brazil, 2018 Sauri has served on the Executive Committee of the Faculty Staff Union (2018–2020) and co-founded the Literary Theory Reading Group. He has taught courses such as *Post-1945 American Literature*, *Literature and the Political Imagination*, and graduate seminars on literary theory and critical methods.
Harsha Ram is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on Russian and European Enlightenment, modernist literature, and the cultural histories of the Caucasus region. He holds dual B.A. Honors degrees in Italian and Russian from the University of Sydney and University of New South Wales, and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Yale University. His work bridges literary theory, post-colonial studies, and geopoetics, with a particular emphasis on Georgia's literary modernism and its intersections with Russian imperial culture. Key themes include spatial theory, peripheral modernisms, and the transnational dimensions of cultural production. Recent work examines the role of ritual feasts in Georgian national identity and the geopoetics of Eurasian avant-garde movements. Ram has published extensively on figures like Velimir Khlebnikov and Boris Pasternak, exploring their engagement with imperial legacies and revolutionary aesthetics. His book The Imperial Sublime: A Russian Poetics of Empire (2003) remains a seminal study of Russian imperial poetics. Current projects include studies on Georgian literary encounters with Russian culture and the symbolic dimensions of Caucasus representations. His scholarship frequently appears in leading journals such as Modernism/Modernity , Slavic Review , and Ab Imperio . He has held visiting positions at institutions globally and actively participates in interdisciplinary dialogues between literary studies, history, and cultural geography.
Andrea Selleri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Literature at Bilkent University, where he joined in September 2020. He holds a BA and MA from the University of Trieste and a PhD from the University of Warwick. His research focuses on the intersections between British literature, criticism, and philosophy in the long nineteenth century, with particular attention to authorship, aesthetics, and interdisciplinary approaches. Dr. Selleri has published extensively on Victorian literature and its philosophical contexts, including a monograph exploring the evolution of authorship concepts and co-editing Literary Studies and the Philosophy of Literature (Palgrave, 2016). His recent work includes a three-volume critical edition, Literature and Philosophy in Nineteenth-Century British Culture (Routledge, 2024), which compiles annotated primary sources. At Bilkent, he teaches courses such as ELIT 246 (Drama and Performance) , ELIT 366 (Victorian Literature) , and ELIT 458 (Literature and Philosophy in Nineteenth-Century British Culture) . He coordinates the Philosophy and Literature Colloquia series and serves as a review editor for the Journal of Victorian Culture . His research interests span literary history, modern literatures in English, French, Spanish, and Italian, and the philosophy of literature. Current projects include studies on free will in Victorian fiction and the legacy of Romantic authorship in formalist aesthetics.
John Holmes is Professor of Victorian Literature and Culture at the University of Birmingham, affiliated with the Birmingham Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR). His work bridges literary studies and scientific inquiry, focusing on interdisciplinary connections from 1800 to the present through extensive collaborations with institutions like the Royal Society and major natural history museums across Europe. His academic credentials include a D.Phil. in English Literature from Oxford (2001), an M.A. in Renaissance Studies from Queen Mary and Westfield College, London (1997), and a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Oxford (1994). D.Phil. English Literature, University of Oxford, 2001 M.A. Renaissance Studies, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, 1997 B.A. English Language and Literature, University of Oxford, 1994 Professor Holmes specializes in literature-science intersections, particularly Victorian and modern poetry, Pre-Raphaelite studies, and natural history museums. His current research examines arts architecture within museum spaces and mythic literature's dialogue with evolutionary science. He has authored foundational works on Darwinism in poetry and Pre-Raphaelite scientific engagements while directing major collaborative projects with scientific institutions. Recent publications reveal consistent exploration of poetic form within scientific contexts, with growing emphasis on digital humanities applications and environmental education. His 2023-2024 outputs demonstrate expanded interdisciplinary scope, integrating virtual reality tools for forest education and deepening analysis of myth-science intersections in canonical poetic works. His distinguished honors include: AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award (2011) British Society for Literature and Science Book Prize (2018) Chair of the British Society for Literature and Science (2012) Honorary Associate of Oxford University Museum of Natural History (2016) President of the Commission on Science and Literature (2023) Professor Holmes leads significant research initiatives including the AHRC-funded Interdisciplinary Forest Education project (2024) and the long-term 'Building the Book of Nature' study (2015-2023). As an active PhD supervisor, he mentors students in literature-science intersections while maintaining robust public engagement through museum collaborations, media appearances, and educational outreach programs that translate academic research for broader audiences. He directs BIFoR-affiliated initiatives connecting literary scholarship with forest research, partnering with natural history museums in Oxford, London, Berlin, and Vienna to develop interdisciplinary frameworks examining how literary traditions shape environmental understanding and scientific communication.
Jack Bowman is a Teaching Fellow in Modern History at the University of Warwick, School of Arts, Department of History. He teaches modules such as "Britain in the Twentieth Century" and "Race, Racism, and Resistance in Modern Britain," and serves as an Academic Writing Adviser and Teaching Representative for the Social Inclusion and Diversity Committee. PhD in History, University of Warwick (2019–2023) MA in Modern History, University of Warwick (2018–2019) BA (Hons) in History, University of Warwick (2015–2018) His research focuses on anti-colonial print cultures, particularly within the British Empire and the Pan-African movement. He specializes in book history, global histories of empire, queer histories, and visual media. His work explores the role of political publishing in anti-colonial activism and the intellectual networks of figures like V. K. Krishna Menon and Ras T. Makonnen. The recent publications and presentations reflect a strong engagement with transnational anti-colonial movements, Black radicalism, and the material culture of print. His work spans historical biography, archival research, and critical reviews of scholarship in visual culture, decolonization, and global knowledge systems. He frequently contributes to public history through outreach and digital media. University of Warwick, History Department Doctoral Scholarship (2019–2023) Jack Bowman advises undergraduate students and contributes to academic governance through committee roles. He is also involved in public engagement, including outreach to school children as the historian for George Padmore and creating educational resources for GCSE and A-Level students. He is a Convenor of the Modern British History Reading Group and a member of the Global History and Culture Centre and Manuscript and Print Cultures Research Group at Warwick. He is currently working on a new book project on the League Against Imperialism and maintains an active public presence through Twitter (@DrJackBowman) and podcast contributions, such as with Shoga Films on the Harlem Renaissance.
Monika Gabryś-Sławińska is a Professor at the Department of Polish Literary History , part of the Faculty of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at the University of Maria Curie-Skłodowska (UMCS). Her research spans 19th- and 20th-century Polish literature , focusing on Stefan Żeromski , historical journalism , text editing , voice emission , and museology . MA in Polish Philology (1998, UMCS) PhD in Literary Studies (2007, UMCS) Habilitation in Literary Studies (2016, UMCS) Her research interests include political commentary in historical press , media's role in cultural identity , and sociolinguistic trends . She has edited over 29 academic volumes and authored 5 monographs. Scientific awards: Bronze Cross of Merit KEN Medals (Bronze, Silver) 8 Rector's Awards (UMCS) Lublin Mayor's Medal (2019) She has participated in 5 research grants , organized 35 academic conferences , and contributed extensively to Annales UMCS as a scientific editor.
Professor Lizelle Bisschoff is a Professor of Film Studies at the University of Glasgow’s School of Culture & Creative Arts. She specializes in African cinema with particular focus on gender representation, digital technologies, and film festival curation. Her research bridges academic scholarship and practical initiatives, such as co-founding the Africa in Motion Film Festival (AiM). She holds a PhD from the University of Stirling and has held prestigious fellowships including the Leverhulme Trust (2010-2012) and Lord Kelvin Adam Smith (2012-2015). Education: PhD in African Cinema (University of Stirling, 2009) MSc in Cultural Studies (University of Edinburgh, 2005) Research Interests: Gender dynamics in African filmmaking Emerging digital film industries across sub-Saharan Africa Postcolonial cinema and modernist aesthetics Her work emphasizes decolonizing film studies through projects like AiM Festival and edited volumes such as Women in African Cinema . Recent research explores African science fiction and feminist archives. She has secured £115k in grants for film restoration and educational outreach programs. Awards: Leverhulme Trust Postdoctoral Fellowship AHRC Follow-on Funding for Impact (£90k) British Federation of Women Graduates Scholarship Teaching: Convenes MSc Film Curation program Teaches Introduction to African Cinemas and Race on Screen Key Projects: Lead curator for Africa’s Lost Classics restoration initiative Organized international symposia on African art and activism
