Over the past two decades, decolonial thought has become increasingly influential across Comparative Literature, Literary Studies, Cultural Studies, Translation Studies, and related fields. While considerable attention has been devoted to decolonial theories, authors, and literary corpora, comparatively less discussion has addressed the methodological implications of the decolonial turn. This seminar is grounded in a central premise: decolonial research becomes possible through decolonial methodologies. A decolonial research project is constituted by its object of study, its theoretical framework, and the methodological choices through which knowledge is produced. Methodology is therefore not a secondary or merely technical dimension of research; it is an epistemological commitment that shapes relationships between researchers, communities, texts, and archives. Decolonial methodologies seek to foster collaborative and situated forms of knowledge production, recognizing historically marginalized communities not simply as sources of data but as active participants in the creation, interpretation, validation, and circulation of knowledge.

This seminar understands methodology as an ethical, political, and epistemological practice. Every methodological decision—from transcription and translation to editing, annotation, publication, archiving, teaching, and public dissemination—participates in the production of knowledge and in the redistribution of epistemic authority. Decolonial methodologies therefore invite collaborative practices, linguistic plurality, respect for oral traditions, shared editorial authority, community participation, and critical reflection on how literary and cultural knowledge is produced, legitimized, and made accessible.

The seminar welcomes contributions that explore methodological innovation across literature and related disciplines. Possible topics include, but are not limited to, decolonial approaches to translation, transcription, editing, oral literature, performance, community archives, collaborative authorship, public humanities, podcasts and digital media, ethnographic literary research, language politics, pedagogical practices, editorial protocols, and alternative forms of scholarly dissemination. Contributions may engage literary texts, oral traditions, multilingual contexts, digital environments, or community-based cultural production.

The central question guiding this seminar is not simply what constitutes decolonial literature, but how decolonial methodologies transform the production of literary and cultural knowledge. By placing methodology at the center of discussion, the seminar seeks to foster dialogue across Comparative Literature, Literary Studies, Cultural Studies, Translation Studies, Education, Digital Humanities, and neighboring fields, encouraging participants to rethink not only the objects of research but also the epistemological practices through which knowledge is created, shared, and transformed.