About the ICLA
Founded in 1955, the International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA) offers a home to all comparatists in the world and encourages exchange and cooperation among comparatists, both individually and through the collaboration of various national comparative literature associations. To that end the Association promotes literary studies beyond the boundaries of languages and national literary traditions, between cultures and world regions, among disciplines and theoretical orientations, and across genres, historical periods, and media. Its broad view of comparative research extends to the study of sites of difference such as race, gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity, and religion in both texts and the everyday world.
The Association aims to be inclusive and is open to anyone with an academic interest in comparative literature, including writers and artists. It welcomes the participation of graduate students and early-career scholars.
The Association organizes a world congress every three years. It also oversees and supports research committees that reflect the membership’s current interests and meet more regularly to pursue agenda leading to publications in journals and books. The Association’s annual journal Recherche littéraire / Literary Research contains essays and reviews a wide range of scholarship in the field.
About the Administrative (Advisory) Committees
Administrative Committees, also known in the Statutes as Advisory Committees, advise the Executive Council about various aspects of the Association’s work, its structure and governance, forms of support for its members, the approval and renewal of research committees.
Their Chairs are appointed by the ICLA President, as the Statutes describe, and the rest of the members are appointed by the Chair and the President, according to criteria of representativeness (such as geographical, linguistic, of gender…) and of relevant experience or expertise.
Advisory Committees are appointed for a term, normally coinciding with the term of the Executive Council. Chairs of Advisory Committees do not have voting rights on the Executive Council, but are invited to take part in its meetings.
The Committees submit an annual report to the Executive Council.
Administrative Committees
Identifies candidates for the triennial elections of officers and members of the Executive Council.
Examines proposals for new Research Committees and investigates other ways to support the research work of the Association.
Responsible for maintaining the organizational structures of the Association.
Administers the Balakian Prize, awarded to an exceptional first monograph in comparative literary studies, written by an author under 40.
Seeks to address the concerns that drive the work of early-career researchers and to support their career development.
Seeks new ways to include our Member Associations more prominently at various levels, as well as ways to collaborate with other organisaitons and groups of scholars.
Administers grants for participating in ICLA Congresses and other events, sometimes in conjunction with the ICLA’s Member Associations