Postdoc in Comparative Literature

About the role

Lund University's Centre for Languages and Literature is looking for a postdoctoral researcher in Comparative Literature to join the research environment Komplitt, an interdisciplinary forum for comparative literature founded in 2013. The position is linked to an interdisciplinary project on censored and banned literature, freedom of expression and human rights, carried out together with the Dawit Isaak Library in Malmö, GRIDH at the University of Gothenburg, Swedish PEN and the Swedish Institute for Children's Books. It is a three-year, full-time career-development post.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct innovative research on literary censorship within Komplitt's international network and the collaborative project.
• Take part in planning and running seminars and academic conferences on censorship, banned books and persecuted authors.
• Receive pedagogical training; teaching, supervision and other teaching-related duties may be included, up to a maximum of one-fifth of working time.

Required profile

• A completed doctoral degree (or equivalent foreign degree) in Literature or a language subject with a specialisation in literature, before the employment decision.
• An independently developed project plan on literary censorship, freedom of expression and human rights covering at least three linguistic or cultural areas, with interdisciplinary and/or methodologically innovative approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to carry out high-quality research, experience in comparative literature research and documented good collaboration skills.
• No previous postdoc employment under the Lund University fixed-term agreement in the same or a related subject area for more than one year.

Required skills

• Excellent English and at least two other languages.
• Teaching proficiency.
• Desirable: research on censorship, persecuted authors and banned books; cross-disciplinary, methodologically innovative research; collaboration between academia and other stakeholders; broad language proficiency.

What we offer

• Support from senior colleagues to develop independence as a researcher.
• International employees are supported in moving to Sweden; families are supported through Lund's International Citizen Hub.
• Benefits of being a government agency: generous holidays and a favourable occupational pension.

Applications are written in English and include a project plan and the doctoral thesis; up to five publications may also be submitted.