معرفی
Dr. Peter Maurits is a postdoctoral fellow at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology at Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), specializing in American Studies with a focus on Culture and Literature. His academic work bridges African literature, science fiction, and postcolonial studies, with particular attention to Lusophone-African contexts and the global dimensions of literary forms.
His educational background includes:
- Dr. phil. in Comparative Literature and Roman Languages, LMU Munich (2015, summa cum laude)
- M.A. in Literary Studies, Utrecht University/Bern University (2012)
- B.A. in Portuguese Language and Culture, Utrecht University/University of Coimbra (2010)
- B.A. in Journalism, Utrecht (2008)
Dr. Maurits' research focuses on the intersections of African literature, particularly Lusophone-African literature, with science fiction and utopian studies. His work explores how literary forms adapt across cultural boundaries, especially in contexts of migration and postcolonial transformation. He investigates how speculative fiction serves as a vehicle for social critique and imagination in African contexts, challenging traditional literary realism and exploring the global dimensions of local literary traditions. His scholarship demonstrates how African writers have transformed science fiction to address local concerns while participating in global literary conversations.
His extensive publication record reveals a consistent focus on African science fiction as an emerging field, with particular attention to Mozambican literature and the works of Mia Couto. His research shows how ghost stories function as a modern genre in Mozambique, connecting local traditions with global literary forms. He also examines the relationship between literary utopias and political realities, particularly in postcolonial contexts, with publications spanning from contemporary analyses of post-2008 African novels to historical examinations of literary forms.
Dr. Maurits is actively engaged in several significant research projects:
- The Emergence of African Science Fiction
- Designs of Literary Futures (with Antje Kley, Dirk Niefanger, Sabine Friedrich, and Georg Tamer)
- Contemporary Africa-Asia Connections: Science Fiction in Africa and China (with Henrike Rudolph)
His teaching portfolio includes courses such as 'Histories of Science Fiction: From Plutarch to Wanuri Kahiu,' 'Globalization, Literature, World Literature,' 'Thomas More's Utopia: A Renaissance Vision of Transition?,' and 'The Modern Ghost Story: From Walter Scott to Mia Couto,' reflecting the breadth and depth of his expertise across literary history and theory.
