This three-part series explores how gender and nation have been understood and constructed through literature in South Asia.  It does so by bringing experts from English and Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, and History to Rutgers to engage three key themes: the dynamics of Dalit literature and identity in India, selfhood and identity in post-Independence women's writing, and the role of religious institutions in offering avenues for gender justice and caste equality.  How have changing gender roles  and ideals changed the idea of the nation and who belongs to it?  What role has literature played in precipitating these changes, and how have new tensions over the nation precipitated similar shifts in literary form and style?

Sponsored by the Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures, Rutgers South Asian Studies Program, Dean of Humanities, The Office of Undergraduate Education, the Centers for Global Advancement and International Affairs, and Rutgers Libraries.

To view the date, time, and location of each event, please click on the appropriate link under "Events" on the left side of this page.  

Ngugi wa Thiong’o:“In the House of the Interpreter:” Reading and discussion of a childhood memoir, and 

Ngugi wa Thiong’o and David Damrosch: In conversation about world literature

Ngugi wa Thiong'o is Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Irvine. He is one of Africa’s leading and by far the most controversial writer. He is the recipient of many honors and several honorary doctorates.

David Damrosch is Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University and is an internationally renowned scholar of World Literature.  His works have been translated into several languages, including Chinese, Estonian, Vietnamese and Turkish.

A Department Blossoms as it Embraces Three Distant Regions

Established in 2008 in response to student and community interest, AMESALL continues a long tradition of scholarly excellence and innovative teaching in the languages and literatures of Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. We provide instruction in over a dozen languages from these three regions using the latest methodologies and technologies of heritage and second language learning. In addtition, we offer introductory and specialized courses taught in English covering a broad spectrum of topics, including literature, folklore and translation. Please feel free to contact us for additional information. We are located on the Livingston Campus in Piscataway, which is part of the greater New Brunswick Campus, directly on the border of the beautiful wildlife nature preserve. Give us a call, we'll be glad to talk to you!