PhD Comparative Literature

See also: the website for the Department of Comparative Literature and Culture

Queen Mary has an active and flourishing research culture with staff working across disciplines to shape the dynamic field of comparative literature. Established in 2012, the PhD Programme in Comparative Literature has since grown to include supervision capacity in European Literatures, the literatures of China and the Indian subcontinent, as well as in world literature, postcolonialism, cosmopolitanism, and transnationalism.

The Department is one of the leading centres for research and study in Comparative Literature in London and benefits from its close collaborative links with the institutions of the University of London, such as University College London (UCL), King's College London, Goldsmiths, SOAS, etc. The Department also has a thriving MA in Comparative Literature, and hosts the highly prestigious annual George Steiner Lecture in Comparative Literature, most recently delivered by David Damrosch (Harvard), Susan Bassnett (Warwick), Haun Saussy (UChicago), and Emily Apter (NYU).

The PhD community in the Department of Comparative Literature is truly international, with its research supported by competitive fellowships and awards of academic institutions in the UK and abroad. Members of the Department have organized major international conferences and symposia; they are also actively involved in the British Comparative Literature Association (BCLA), the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA), and the American Comparative Literature Association (ACLA). Department members also serve in advisory roles on editorial boards of journals and publications series in Comparative Literature worldwide.

Graduate students participate actively in the Comparative Literature community at Queen Mary and beyond, including presenting their own work at staff-student research seminars and at events hosted by the London Intercollegiate Network for Comparative Studies (LINKS), of which Queen Mary is a lively member. Students are encouraged to contribute more broadly to the research culture by organising talks and events, often featuring invited speakers.

The School of Languages, Linguistics and Film is situated in a modern building on Queen Mary's main campus at Mile End. The University Library contains an extensive collection of English and foreign language monographs and journals (including e-journals) on comparative literature. The Library has corporate memberships which enable Queen Mary students to use the University of London Library and the Library of the Institute of Romance and Germanic Studies, as well as the libraries of the other constituent Colleges of the University of London.

Prospective students are advised to consult the postgraduate selector, Dr. Adhira Mangalagiri (a.mangalagiri@qmul.ac.uk) about potential supervisors before submitting a research proposal. The Department of Comparative Literature is interested in receiving applications from prospective PhD students across a wide range of areas. The Department has particular research strengths in the areas below.