Allison Kanner-Botan

Allison Kanner-Botan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), part of the UCLA College. She holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2013) and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (2023). Her research focuses on medieval Arabic and Persian literature, with interdisciplinary interests in the history of sexuality, mad and disability studies, Islamic thought, and anti-colonial theory. She is currently working on a book project exploring intersections of these themes in early Eurasian texts.

Her professional accolades include the Charles Bernheimer Prize for Best Dissertation (Honorable Mention, ACLA, 2024) and a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Colorado Boulder (2023–2024). Her publications analyze themes such as Persianate modernity, animal symbolism in classical love stories, and critical translations of medieval poetry. Kanner-Botan is fluent in Persian, Arabic, Turkish, French, and Kurdish (basic), enabling her deep engagement with primary sources. Her work bridges literary analysis with critical theory, emphasizing decolonial frameworks and marginalized voices in premodern texts.

Though no advising or grant details are explicitly listed, her academic trajectory reflects a commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship. She contributes to UCLA’s vibrant humanities community through teaching and research in comparative literature.