The American Comparative Literature Association (ACLA) Annual Meeting, one of the most important scholarly conventions in the domain of comparative literature, was hosted at Georgetown University for the first time in the history of the association from March 7 to 10.
The conference was organized by Professor Nicoletta Pireddu, a comparative literature specialist, former director of the Comparative Literature Program, and current chair of the Italian Department. Over 2,000 attendees from all over the world presented papers in 184 multi-day seminars that took place throughout campus.
“[The event] generated inspiring dialogues across languages, cultures, and disciplines, and showed the richness of diversity in line with the research and pedagogical mission of our university,” said Pireddu, who devoted the last two and a half years to the organization of the event.
Bringing the conference to Georgetown put the university on the global stage as a promoter of innovative scholarship in the humanities.
Plenary events included a keynote address by internationally acclaimed novelist Amitav Ghosh and a session with renowned cultural critics Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Mary Louise Pratt. In addition to panels, representatives from the major U.S. and European publishing houses exhibited a rich selection of the most recent scholarship in the humanities in Copley Formal Lounge.
One highlight of the conference was the ACLA Undergraduate Seminar on “Spaces of Otherness in the Global World,” which Pireddu said is particularly meaningful to the ethos of Georgetown. Nearly 90 undergraduate students from several continents submitted abstracts of papers to present at the conference, of which 15 finalists were selected, including three Georgetown students. Chaired by Professor Meital Orr of the Center for Jewish Civilization in the School of Foreign Service, the 3-day seminar showcased sophisticated comparative research.
The conference was made possible by the generous support of the Office of the Vice President for Global Engagement , as well as a number of other academic units, including the College Dean’s Office, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Office of the Provost, the Office of the President, the Faculty of Foreign Languages, and individual departments and programs (the Department of English, the Department of Italian, the Comparative Literature Program, and the Center for Jewish Civilization).
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Alexander Beecroft, ACLA Secretary Treasurer, and David Palumbo-Liu, ACLA President, in Gaston Hall, for the award ceremony recognizing outstanding scholarship in comparative literature.
Presidential plenary panel with Louise Mary Pratt, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Robert Warrior, and David Palumbo-Liu.
Nicoletta Pireddu introducing novelist Amitav Ghosh, ACLA Conference keynote speaker, in the grand ballroom.
Major academic presses showcased recent scholarly publications in the humanities at the book exhibit.
Novelist Amitav Ghosh delivering his keynote address "Speaking of Babel: The Risk and Rewards of Writing About Polyglot Societies."
Award ceremony reception in Riggs Library.
February 28, 2019
Mayesha Awal (C’20), Karla Leyja (C’19), and Angelica Rossi-Hawkins (C’21) were among only 15 undergraduates who presented papers at the 2019 American Comparative Literature Association’s (ACLA) Annual Meeting.
February 25, 2019
Georgetown University hosted the 2019 American Comparative Literature Association’s Annual Meeting, one of the world’s largest conferences of comparative literature scholars.
