Anke Birkenmaier

Anke Birkenmaier is Professor and Department Chair of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University Bloomington’s College of Arts and Sciences. Specializing in Caribbean and Latin American literature, her research bridges anthropology, media studies, and sound analysis to examine cultural and racial evolution.

• Ph.D., Yale University (2004)
• M.A., Yale University (2002)
• M.A., University of Tübingen (1998)

Her award-winning scholarship includes seminal works on Alejo Carpentier’s surrealism and radio influence, and The Specter of Races analyzing anthropological-literary networks. Current projects like The Latin American Novel in the Digital Age investigate media interaction in 20th/21st-century literature.

Recent publications span topics like Valeria Luiselli’s sonic techniques (2023), Sarduy’s radio plays (2018), and Oswald Spengler’s Latin American reception (2021), reflecting her interdisciplinary engagement with sound studies and colonial legacies.

• Humboldt Fellowship for Experienced Researchers
• Premio Iberoamericano (LASA, 2007) for Alejo Carpentier y la cultura del surrealismo en América Latina
• Whiting Fellowship in Humanities

As former director of Indiana’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (2015-2019), she fostered cross-disciplinary collaborations in public humanities and outreach. Her teaching includes literature, sound studies, and Caribbean cultural analysis courses.