As the latest iteration of the coronavirus continues to impact our lives and careers, with no definitive conclusion in sight, the British Comparative Literature Association would like to invite its members, followers of the BCLA website, and specialists in Comparative Literature and Translation, whether lecturers, early career researchers or postgraduates, to contribute reflections of no more than 1500 words to its ongoing initiative on Culture and Quarantine. The scheme has been running since the outbreak of the pandemic, receiving essays in numerous languages from across the world on what it means to live in an age of confinement. Now that we are two years into the pandemic, we are particularly interested in contributions that reflect on the continuing evolution of cultural criticism in the age of Covid. What, if anything, have we learned?
Examples of essays by members of the BCLA Executive Committee and a range of leading international figures, including Andrew Motion, Susan Bassnett and William Marx, may be found on our page Reflections on Culture in the Age of Confinement. The essays cover the broadest range of relevant topics possible, from the transformation effected by the pandemic on our scholarly activities, to the strange and vivid dreams that many of us have experienced during this time, and the applicability of works from national literatures and cultures to the present situation.
The texts are fully searchable by keyword, institution, and language, and constitute an instantly accessible, internationally recognised publication.
Since these pages are also intended as a hub and repository of material relevant to the unprecedented times that human society and culture is living through, we also welcome links to relevant articles, books, historical material, and (copyright cleared) images and artwork in the public domain, with commentaries on these for the Resource Bank and Gallery.
To submit a contribution, a contact form, “Submit Your Reflection” is available at various points on the main page of the repository. If you encounter any issues with the form, please e-mail us at info@bcla.org or bclawebeditor@gmail.com.
