Research on Romanesque Literature
1. June 2024Late last year, the Brno-based publishing house Host released an intriguing book titled Globalisation in Literature? The publication is the work of a team of leading Romance studies scholars and their doctoral students from Masaryk University (MUNI), Palacký University Olomouc (UPOL), and Charles University (UK), led by Professor Petr Kyloušek from the Institute of Romance Languages and Literatures at MUNI. One of the contributors to the book is Daniel Sampey from the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures (ÚMJL).
The book examines the issue of globalisation from various perspectives, focusing on literatures written in Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. It explores the ways in which these literatures and cultures interact with each other, between former colonisers and colonised societies, and with global markets and literary disciplines. The Czech cultural space is not overlooked. In the book’s remarkable “Intermezzo” section, the reception of non-European Romance literatures in the Czech context is explored.
Professor Kyloušek also dedicates attention to the works and themes of the world-renowned novelist Milan Kundera, who passed away last year at the age of 94.
Daniel Sampey, who works at ÚMJL as a lecturer, contributed a chapter titled “Láche pas la patate: French Language Culture in Louisiana.” His chapter focuses on the unique position of French language culture in the United States, shaped by distinctive French Creole influences on the region’s social and legal systems, its vibrant cuisine, and its Cajun and Zydeco music. Sampey also played a key role in translating and editing the English version of the book, which has just been published by the international publisher Brill, based in the Netherlands.
The 783-page collection of essays covers a wide and diverse range of topics and perspectives. It represents a valuable new resource for academics and students engaged not only in the study of Romance literatures but also in social and cultural studies.
While indispensable for researchers, the book will also appeal to casual readers interested in the world and the stories of remarkable individuals, communities, and movements that shape it. Both the Czech and English print versions of Globalisation in Literature? will soon be available in the TBU library, with digital PDF copies of both editions already accessible online.
Text: author of the book