Nearly 80 years after Mimesis (1946), Erich Auerbach's work continues to shape how we understand literary representation and the relationship between style and social reality. Written in Istanbul exile without a research library, Mimesis stands as both a testament to humanistic scholarship under duress and a foundational text for comparative literature. This seminar examines Auerbach's legacy while addressing its contemporary relevance and limitations.

We seek papers exploring how Auerbach's methods speak to our moment of global crisis, digital transformation, and decolonial reckoning. How does his concept of figura illuminate contemporary narrative? What can his "representation of reality" teach us about post-truth discourse or digital storytelling? How might we extend his framework through non-Western traditions?

Topics include:

• Philological method in the age of digital humanities
• "Weltliteratur" from Auerbach to world literature debates
• Exile, displacement, and scholarly production
• Figura in contemporary literature and media
• Auerbach and postcolonial/decolonial approaches
• "Everyday" and "serious realism" in global fiction
• Influence on narrative theory and historiography
• Comparative modernism beyond Europe
• Politics of style and democratization of representation
• Secularization and post-secular readings
• Teaching Mimesis today
• Late work on literary publics

Goals:

1. Reassess Auerbach's contributions to comparative methodology
2. Explore tensions between close reading and contemporary approaches
3. Examine how exile shaped modernist philology
4. Consider Auerbach's relevance to world literature debates
5. Foster dialogue between established and emerging scholars

We welcome 20-minute papers from all career stages. Papers may focus on specific texts, theoretical interventions, or pedagogical approaches. Submit 250-300 word abstracts clearly articulating your argument and engagement with Auerbach's legacy. We particularly encourage submissions bringing Auerbach into dialogue with non-European literatures, contemporary media, or urgent political questions.

This seminar meets three times for sustained engagement. We seek diverse voices expanding Auerbach's framework beyond its European focus and addressing issues of accessibility and representation in comparative literary studies.