Research Literary and Cultural Studies

Literary and cultural studies at the English Department extend across a variety of generic, cultural, and national contexts. The objects of study are not just the canonical literary forms but "texts" and practices of meaning-making. Research in literary and cultural studies is conducted mainly in the areas of the study of narrative and approaches to its literary and cultural forms and functions, as well as the sociology of cultural production and the nature of literary prestige. Other staff research interests include gender and queer studies, new developments in narratology, intermedia studies, and contemporary drama. Research projects at the department are conducted on Anglophone literature and culture from the 16th century to the present, with the focus currently on Great Britain, Ireland, and the USA. Our scholars are involved in interdisciplinary research networks and collaborative projects with individual institutes like the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) as well as in university-wide initiatives, for instance, the Collaborative Research Center „Heimat(en)/Home(s)“ or the Network Gender & Queer Studies.