Drawing by Raihana Omri, November 2019

My educational journey began in Tunisia, in the remote rural school al-Hazza, built by an ambitious young state and protected by a community intent on providing their children with a life better than their own. I then moved on to life-transforming high schools in Thala and Kasserine and then to Mannouba University to study English, after a short but meaningful stop at Carthage business school (IHEC). I completed masters and PhD degrees in comparative literature at Washington University in St. Louis in the USA, before taking up academic positions at the University Exeter in Britain. I then became Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature at the University of Oxford and Tutorial Fellow for Oriental Studies at St John’s College. The personal and communal stories of the journey are told in the (Arabic-language) radio programme “Hilma wa Hkaya” with Dhekra Mensi (below).

After foundational training in comparative methods and Arabic literature, most notably under the guidance of the late Peter Heath, I pursued methodological and intellectual concerns raised by the life and work of the Tunisian iconic writer, Mahmud al-Masadi (1911-2004) in a PhD thesis which places him at the intersection of global, local and historical fields. What went into the making of such a unique writer whose creative style seemed at odds with his daily preoccupations as anti-colonial activist, trade unionist and statesman? How did he handle the encounter between the classical Arabic literary and intellectual heritage on the one hand, and modern European literatures and philosophy on the other?  How does the case of al-Mas’adi challenge both Comparative Literature and literary studies within the field of area Area Studies. This project is discussed at length in the (Arabic-language) radio programme “Utruhat” with Khmaies Ouertani (below).

My main research interests are in Arabic literature, both classical and modern; Tunisian literature written in diverse languages; comparative literature and the relationships between literature, society and history. I published in each of these areas, including three books in collaboration with historians; two books in comparative literature and several studies on classical and modern Arabic literatures. One key focus has been Tunisian literatures, with work on the poets al-Shabbi and Awlad Ahmad, testimonial literature, Francophone writing and cultural politics. These diverse projects and the questions animating them are discussed extensively in the radio programme “Liqa’ khass” with Khaled Krouna.  

An extensive list of my work can be found under publications. Part of these interests are pursued in my teaching and supervision at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, membership in programmes, such as OCCT, and networks, such as BCLA; the CNRS-funded research network Literature and Democracy…

In my view, academic research and academics are integral part of society and academics are entrusted with the particular responsibility of engaging with the issues of their time. This includes writing for the general public, promoting justice and striving for equitable access to knowledge. My collaborative and multi-faceted project Arab Revolutions and New Humanism aims to bridge the gap between university and society and tackle the imbalance between local and global knowledges. I also frequently contribute articles and interviews to Arab and Anglophone media, and support a variety of causes.