Thibaut d'Hubert

Thibaut d’Hubert is an Associate Professor at the University of Chicago in the Department of South Asian Languages & Civilizations. His research focuses on Middle Bengali poetry and Indo-Persian literature, with an emphasis on textual criticism, literary hermeneutics, and multilingualism in premodern South and Southeast Asia.

• Specializes in Bengali-Persianate literary interactions
• Co-organizer of Middle Bengali language/literature retreats
• Recipient of Zukunftsphilologie fellowship (2013-14)

His monograph In the Shade of the Golden Palace (2018) examines Middle Bengali poet Ālāol’s translation practices, while Meaningful Rituals (2022) explores Persian-Arabic-Bengali multilingualism through the Nūrnāma tradition. Current projects include critical editions of Ālāol’s epic Saẏphulmuluk Badiujjāmāl (supported by NEH grant) and annotated translations of Persian ghazals.

• Supervises students in premodern South Asian literature
• Teaches courses on Bengali/Sanskrit/Persian literatures
• Works on musicology and text performance

His research interests span:

• Perso-Arabic poetics in Bengal
• History of literary multilingualism
• Sufi and Gauḍīẏa Vaiṣṇava literature
• Cultural interactions between South/Southeast Asia
• Traditional philology and scribal practices
• Didactic/ritual uses of Persian texts in rural Bengal

Key scientific awards:

• Zukunftsphilologie fellowship (2013-14)
• NEH Scholarly Editions and Translations grant