معرفی
William Marx is Professor and Chair of Comparative Literature at the Collège de France, a position he has held since 2019. His work focuses on the global and transhistorical dimensions of literature, challenging Eurocentric conceptions of literary studies. He directs research on the long-term evolution of aesthetic systems and the status of literature from Antiquity to the present day, with particular interest in cross-cultural literary exchanges.
His research interests span Comparative Literature, World Literature, Library Studies, and Text Circulation across cultures. He examines how literary works travel through different linguistic and cultural contexts, how libraries (both material and immaterial) shape our understanding of texts, and how literary canons form and transform over time. His work bridges European, Japanese, and global literary traditions, with special attention to Greek tragedy, Japanese Noh theater, medieval and Renaissance humanism, and modernist literature.
Marx's publications reveal a consistent focus on the relationship between texts and their contexts, particularly how the circulation of works contributes to the construction of world literature. His recent work explores the concept of the 'library of new stars' as a metaphor for literary discovery and cross-cultural reception. His articles demonstrate deep engagement with genetic criticism, manuscript studies (particularly of Paul Valéry and T.S. Eliot), and the relationship between material libraries and mental libraries that shape literary interpretation.
His research shows strong interdisciplinary connections, as evidenced by his dialogue with mathematician Nalini Anantharaman on hyperbolic geometry. He has organized significant conferences exploring cultural exchanges, such as the 2022 conference 'Neo-Japonism, 1945-1975' which examined the post-war evolution of Japanese-Western artistic relationships.
- Active teaching through 2025-2026 academic year
- Regular publication of course summaries through OpenEdition
- Collaboration with international scholars across disciplines
Marx maintains an active research program that combines textual analysis with broader cultural and historical perspectives, consistently challenging disciplinary boundaries while maintaining rigorous scholarly methodology. His work represents a significant contribution to redefining comparative literature for the global age.
