Nefeli Papoutsakis

Dr. Nefeli Papoutsakis serves as a Privatdozent (PD) at the Institute of Arabic Studies and Islamic Studies, University of Münster, where she maintains an active research profile and office hours by appointment. Affiliated with the ALEA project of the Cluster of Excellence, she contributes to cutting-edge research in Arabic literary history while maintaining her institutional presence at Schlaunstraße 2, Room RS 355.

Her scholarly focus centers on Classical Arabic literature, with particular expertise in medieval poetic genres including literary riddles, begging poetry (šakwā), and eulogistic forms. Current research investigates the historical development of Arabic riddles through her major project Classical Arabic Literary Riddles: The History of a Genre, examining textual traditions from the 8th to 16th centuries. This work intersects with broader interests in poetic boasting, complaint literature, and cultural memory in pre-modern Islamic societies.

Publication trends reveal sustained engagement with Arabic literary history through monographs, critical editions, and encyclopedia contributions. Her recent output emphasizes riddle literature and poetic complaint genres, demonstrating methodological rigor in manuscript analysis and genre classification. The 2020-2021 publications particularly highlight Ottoman-era riddle treatises and prophetic praise literature, indicating expanding chronological and geographical scope in her research.

As an active collaborator in the ALEA research project, Dr. Papoutsakis participates in interdisciplinary investigations of Arabic literary history, contributing editorial expertise to volumes like The Sultan’s Anthologist: Ibn Abī Ḥaǧalah and His Work (2017). Her institutional role combines research leadership with scholarly communication through the Encyclopaedia of Islam and specialized academic journals.