The many worlds of world literature

The Institute for World Literature marks my initiation into the many worlds of world literature. Joining this Harvard summer program in 2016 was one of my smartest decisions. Before joining, world literature was just an exciting term I briefly encountered. But now, it’s one of my primary areas of research. The exposure to stimulating discussions among peers and experienced scholars, combined with debates on diverse, insightful readings, allowed me to formulate my PhD dissertation topic on intersections between world literature, canon (re)formation, and world literature anthologies. The month-long program has helped me pursue what became the most exciting and challenging area of interest in my academic work, and provided me with news paths to study world literature.

Rana Elbowety

2016 IWL alumna, Harvard

PhD researcher

Department of English Language and Literature

Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, Egypt