Submission deadline: January 5, 2027
Abstract deadline: October 1, 2026
Article submission deadline: May 1, 2027
Publication: Spring 2028
Following decades of a trailblazing career in literary studies, Ferial Ghazoul, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, and founder of Alif, continues to shape discourses around comparative literature, translation studies, and scholarship in Egypt and beyond. In honor of her retirement, Alif dedicates its 48th issue in celebration of Ghazoul’s career with colleagues, friends, and students. This festschrift is an invitation to all those who were touched by Ghazoul’s work, mentorship, companionship, and memories to contribute to this issue, and celebrate her. Ghazoul’s oeuvre includes scholarship on literary criticism, the art of translation, and comparative literary studies. In addition, she played a pivotal role in the dissemination of knowledge production through her editorial career as Alif’s co-founder and editor, as well as her participation in many academic and cultural journals and magazines in the Arab world. In donning these various hats, as a scholar, editor, translator, and lecturer, Ghazoul has exemplified a dedication to knowledge production like no other, extending her influence across generations, as well as linguistic, disciplinary, and geographical boundaries.
Alif 48 offers her colleagues, friends, and students an opportunity to reflect on Ghazoul’s scholarship, and think of its permanence for the future. Contributors are invited to engage with particular works of Ghazoul, put them in conversation with other contemporaneous scholars and intellectuals, consider the pioneering role she played in establishing comparative literature as a field/discipline in Egypt and the Arab region, and in her institutional contributions be that within the setting of the university, or in the academic journals and magazines she helped establish and run. We especially welcome personal testimonies and ruminations over the mentorship and camaraderie that Ghazoul provided for all who crossed paths with her.
Contributions might include, but are not restricted to, the following:
- Medieval and contemporary Arabic literature, particularly the Arabian Nights,
- Translation studies, untranslatability, and comparative method,
- Comparative literature,
- Ghazoul’s editorial legacy and role in shaping Alif and scholarly journals in the Arab world,
- Tributes, testimonies, and reflections from students, colleagues, and collaborators,
- And, translated excerpts of her scholarly work into Arabic, English, or French for new linguistic audiences.
Submission instructions: An initial 300-word abstract should be submitted by 1 October 2026, accompanied by the author’s bio email address, telephone number, and postal address. Articles based on accepted abstracts should be between 6,000 and 8,000 words and must be submitted in Arabic, English, or French by must be submitted online through our Editorial Manager. Authors should consult MLA Handbook (9th edition) for style in preparing their manuscript. Here is the guide for authors.