Call for Book Chapter Proposals

Shifting Borders, Emerging Voices: Narratives of Change in Global South Asia

Abstract submission deadline:        31 Dec 2024
Full Chapter submission deadline:    30 June 2025
Publisher:                                   Springer
Contact email:                            moussa.pouryaAsl@oulu.fi ;
                                               jaidkamanju24@gmail.com

South Asia today stands at a crossroads, experiencing profound shifts across political, cultural, and social landscapes. The region, encompassing key Commonwealth nations such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and others, finds itself in a continuous state of flux—where longstanding traditions, identities, and ideologies are being renegotiated in the face of unprecedented change. The volatility of these transitions not only reverberates within national boundaries but also extends globally, influencing a broader understanding of transformation in the Global South.

The proposed volume seeks to capture this dynamic movement of transformation across the region, inviting contributions that explore the theme of change in its many forms—whether societal, cultural, environmental, or intellectual. The focus is on how literary, theoretical, and academic works grapple with the ongoing redefinition of key concepts such as identity, belonging, power, and resistance in a region where nothing remains static.

We are particularly interested in contributions that reflect on change as a fundamental force—one that shapes individual and collective narratives, disrupts established structures, and opens up new possibilities. The proposed volume seeks to unpack the complexities of South Asia's ongoing transformations, whether examining the evolving nature of national identity, the renegotiation of borders (literal and metaphorical), or the shifting roles of community and tradition.

Contributors are encouraged to engage with contemporary literary texts (written in English and published in the present century) and theoretical frameworks that critically examine how the state of flux in South Asia informs, and is informed by, broader global processes. Themes of migration, mobility, hybrid identities, and the reimagination of past and future are particularly welcome. Essays may focus on trade routes and cultural exchanges that shaped relationships, analyze economic links, highlighting key industries and their integration into the global market, consider cultural influences and migration patterns, political relationships, alliances, and the impact of current events, address environmental issues like climate change that connect the region to global challenges, and examine how technology facilitates these connections. Together, these elements provide a comprehensive understanding of the region's place in the world.

We encourage potential contributors to explore one of the following themes:

1. Transformation of Identity:

How are individual and collective identities being reshaped by the forces of change in South Asia? What role does literature play in capturing these shifts, particularly in relation to tradition, modernity, and the future?

2. Negotiating Boundaries:

The borders of South Asia—whether physical, ideological, or cultural—are constantly shifting. How are these redefined in the context of globalization, regional dynamics, and the changing nature of sovereignty?

3. Cultural Reconfigurations:

How are literary forms evolving in response to South Asia's changing landscape? What new narratives and forms are emerging as a result of these cultural transformations?

4. Environmental and Social Flux:

How does the environmental context—climate change, urbanization, and resource depletion—intersect with social and cultural change in South Asia? In what ways is this ecological transformation reflected in literature?

5. Mobility and Migration:

The movement of people, ideas, and capital within and beyond South Asia continues to transform its societies. How do these forms of mobility contribute to new understandings of home, displacement, and belonging? How are they depicted in literary expressions?

6. Future Visions:

As South Asia undergoes these transformations, how is the future being imagined? What role does literature play in projecting new possibilities for the region, beyond the present state of flux?

Submission Guidelines:

We invite scholars and writers to submit a 300-word abstract outlining their proposed chapter, accompanied by a brief bio (100 words) that highlights their academic and professional background. We encourage submissions that engage deeply with the concept of change and transformation.

Please submit a 300-word abstract and a brief bio by December 31, 2024, to: 

• Moussa Pourya Asl, University of Oulu: moussa.pouryaAsl@oulu.fi
• Manju Jaidka, Former Professor and Chair, Panjab University, Chandigarh; President, MELOW: jaidkamanju24@gmail.com

After reviewing abstracts, selected contributors will be invited to submit complete papers by June 30, 2025.

The final proposal will be submitted to Springer for a further round of single blind review and is subject to final approval by the publisher.

Editors:

Moussa Pourya Asl is currently affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Oulu, Finland, where he conducts research as a member of the Trans-Atlantic Impacts (TAI) within the Transcultural Encounters Research Center. He holds a Ph.D. in Literary Studies from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), where he worked as a senior lecturer from 2018-2023. His primary research interests lie in diasporic literature, as well as gender and cultural studies. His works include Gender, Place, and Identity of South Asian Women (2022) and Urban Poetics and Politics in Contemporary South Asia and the Middle East (2023). In addition, he has guest-edited three special issues on postcolonial and diasporic literature and theory for The Wenshan Review (2019) & (2021) and Intersections (2024).

Manju Jaidka is a former Professor and Chairperson at Panjab University, Chandigarh. A recipient of prestigious fellowships and international assignments including a Fulbright and two Rockefeller awards, she is the author of more than twenty-five books, academic as well as creative writing. Her notable works include The Next Milestone commissioned by WHO, and the recently published Routledge Encyclopedia of Indian Writing in English. She is the founder and chief functionary of MELOW: The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the World.