“What is Theory, and why are they saying such terrible things about it? (And who—if we indulge in paranoiac criticism—are ‘they’, anyway?) To take the second part of the question first, ‘they’ say terrible things about Theory because much of it is admittedly jargon-ridden and often appears incomprehensible. But also (and this is the uncharitable answer) because: (i) it takes considerable patience and effort to understand the ‘key’ essays, and most diatribes against Theory come from people unwilling to make that effort; and (ii) it destabilises authority over interpretation and authority is precisely what teachers (especially teachers of literary studies) seek to impose over texts, meanings, and readers.”

This formulation comes from Prof. Pramod K Nayar,UNESCO Chair in Vulnerability Studies; Senior Professor, Department of English, University of Hyderabad; and Distinguished Professor, Department of Liberal Arts, IIT Hyderabad.

This online, fortnightly, live, and intensive series of ten lectures on Literary Theory and its applicability to reading and/or researching literature, beginning in the first week of April 2026, is a first-of-its-kind initiative in India. The series is organised by Calcutta Comparatists 1919, an educational trust founded by scholars from the Department of Comparative Indian Language and Literature, University of Calcutta, with the aim of democratising scholarly spaces.

The live and interactive lecture series primarily targets postgraduate students and early-career research scholars engaged in literary studies or aspiring to pursue academic careers in the discipline. However, participation is not limited to these groups; all literature enthusiasts are warmly welcome.

We all begin our academic journeys with the question, “[W]hat is Theory?” and the challenge intensifies when we attempt to apply it. This ten-lecture series seeks to dispel the fear of “jargon-ridden and incomprehensible” theoretical language, encourage participants to question institutionalised authorities in processes of meaning-making, and ultimately democratise the meaning of texts.

The sessions will be conducted on the Google Meet platform, preferably in the evening (7:00 PM–8:00 PM IST), so that participants engaged in professional and academic commitments can conveniently attend and learn from a master of Literary Theory himself.

Let us join together in the process of democratising not only the interpretation of theory, but also the spaces in which it is traditionally taught, through the Masterclass on Literary Theory by Prof. Pramod K. Nayar.

Registration Details

Early Bird Registration (till 7 March)

General Participants: ₹2000

CC19 Triennial Members: ₹1700

CC19 Life Members: ₹1500

Late Registration (8 March – 21 March)

All Participants: ₹3000

Coordinators

Kingshuk Banerjee

Assistant Professor of English, Shyambazar Law College

& 

Secretary 

Calcutta Comparatists 1919

Ayan Ghosh

PhD Research Scholar (UGC-SRF),

Department of Comparative Indian Language and Literature, University of Calcutta

& 

Jt. Treasurer 

Calcutta Comparatists 1919

For any queries, please feel free to write to us at calcomparatists@gmail.com

Registration Link : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSOlzT9uv27CxQHZ-PS8BgEj1yPCV1...

URL: https://calcuttacomparatists.in/announcement/