Call for Book Chapters
Courtesans, Consorts, and Outcasts
Prostitutes in patriarchal society serve as mirrors to societal norms, embodying contradictions
of desire, power, marginalization, and agency. While often reduced to stereotypes (seductress,
victim, or social menace), their portrayals reveal deeper truths about gender, class, and
cultural values. This volume seeks to explore the multifaceted representations of prostitutes
across literary traditions—from ancient Sanskrit ganikas and Greek hetaerae to Victorian
"fallen women" and postmodern sex workers—to interrogate how these figures challenge,
reinforce, or transcend societal boundaries. This project fills a critical gap in scholarship by
decentralizing Western-centric narratives and foregrounding marginalized perspectives. It
offers a panoramic yet nuanced exploration of how literature both perpetuates and dismantles
the stigmatization of sex work, making it timely in an era of #MeToo and global debates on
decriminalization.
Book chapters from academicians may explore (but are not limited to) the following Subthemes:
1. Sacred vs. Profane: Temple courtesans (devadasis) in Sanskrit texts vs. Biblical
figures like Mary Magdalene
2. The "Educated Courtesan": Ganikas in Arthashastra vs. geishas in Japanese literature
3. Subversive Voices: Chaucer’s Wife of Bath, Vasantasena in Mṛ cchakaṭ ika, or
Manuela in City of God
4. Caste and Sex Work: Dalit narratives (e.g., The Prisons We Broke by Baby Kamble)
5. Colonialism and Prostitution: Rereading Memsahibs and bibis in Anglo-Indian
literature
6. Digital Bodies: Prostitutes in Cyberpunk and Dystopian Literature
7. The tawaifs in various texts
8. Apsaras as the celestial temptresses
Submission Guidelines:
1. Submit abstract and full paper to the e-mail id: courtesanbook@rediffmail.com
2. Kindly follow latest MLA style for references
3. Chapters may be submitted in English or Bengali (soft copy only) version with the
format .doc, .docx.:
For English Version: Article should be in Single column, Font: Times New
Roman, Size: 12 pt, Line Spacing: 1.5, Word Limit: 3000.
For Bengali Version: Article should be in Single column, Font: Bangla Word /
Kalpurush, Size: 18 pt, Caption 20 pt, Authors Name 16 pt, Line Spacing: 1.5, Word Limit:
3000
The book will be published by a leading international publisher.Deadline for
Submission of Abstract (150-300 words) and brief bio-note (100 words): 25 May,2025
Deadline for the final draft of the chapter: 15 August, 2025
Editors:
Suparna Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Department of Sanskrit, Chakdaha College
Abhishek Chowdhury, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Chakdaha College