The concept of the “Global South,” deeply rooted in colonial history, global capital flows, and asymmetrical knowledge production mechanisms, provides a critical lens for literary studies to re-examine historical experiences, textual transmission, and discursive power. This framework reveals the long-standing structural tensions within the world literary landscape between center and periphery, canonical and non-canonical—prompting reflection on the limitations of existing theoretical paradigms while inspiring deeper exploration of the intellectual resources and aesthetic possibilities inherent in multilingual, multi-regional literary practices. With the deepening of South-South cooperation and cross-regional research, key scholarly concerns have emerged: how to understand Southern experiences and subjective voices in literature, how to examine the unique trajectories of Global South literatures in circulation and canonization, and how to reconstruct literary historical narratives and knowledge production paradigms from non-Western perspectives.

This conference adopts the “Global South” as its central framework, focusing on how Southern literatures reconfigure area and national studies paradigms through narrative strategies, aesthetic forms, and discursive practices, aiming to build an autonomous knowledge system grounded in Southern experiences. It will critique the Western-centric literary canon, emphasize the deconstructive power of non-Western perspectives on traditional interpretive frameworks, and explore how Southern texts, carrying local knowledge, historical memory, and identity politics, challenge the boundaries of geo-cultural studies. At the level of cross-cultural communication, the conference will analyze structural inequalities and the logic of cultural governance in literary translation, publishing, and digital circulation. By integrating literary criticism, area studies, and communication theory, it seeks to promote South-South intellectual dialogue, construct decolonial academic discourses, and offer innovative pathways based on literary practice for Global South countries engaging in cultural governance.

To foster interdisciplinary exchange and international dialogue on these issues, the School of Foreign Studies at Tongji University will host the Conference on Literary Studies：Global South Perspectiveson October 23-24, 2026. Scholars from around the world are cordially invited to gather for this exploration of cutting-edge research.

Conference Theme

Literary Studies from Global South Perspectives

Sub-themes (including but not limited to)

1.Narrative Strategies and Aesthetic Mechanisms in Global South Literatures

2.Political Experience, Historical Memory, and Local Knowledge in Global South Literatures

3.Subjective Discourses of the Global South and the Construction of Decolonial Knowledge Systems

4.Southern Reconfigurations and Critical Interpretations of the Literary Canon

5.The Global South in Western Literature and Knowledge Systems

6.Innovations in Global South Theory and Literary Research Methods

7.Translation, Pedagogy, and Research of Global South Literatures

8.Other related topics. Please also see: https://think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issues/the-global-south-as-world-literature/

Conference Format

1. Keynote Speeches

2. Panel Sessions

3. Early Career Scholar Forum

Date, Venue & Transportation

Date: October 23-24, 2026

Registration Venue:

Lobby, 1st Floor, Huiwen Building

Siping Road Campus, Tongji University

No. 1239 Siping Road, Yangpu District, Shanghai, China

Transportation:

1) By Metro:

Take Shanghai Metro Line 10 to Tongji University Station and exit from Exit 5.

2) By Taxi:

Please set your destination as Southeast Gate, Siping Road Campus, Tongji University (Gate at No. 1239 Siping Road).

Working Languages

Chinese or English

Submission Guidelines

1. Abstract: Those submitting a paper should provide an abstract of 300–500 words, in Chinese or English, including the paper title, author’s name, affiliation, position, research interests, and contact information.

2. Please submit your abstract via email to: globalsouthlit_tj@163.com. Email subject line: Please use “Global South Literature Symposium Submission + Author Name.”

3. Submission deadline: September 19, 2026.

4. The conference committee will organize a peer review process, with notification of acceptance sent by September 30, 2026.

5. Registration: Whether or not you are submitting a paper, all prospective participants — including those attending as auditors without a paper — are requested to complete the registration form by September 19, 2026, via the link https://survey.tongji.edu.cn/s/kKICkP or by scanning the QR code below, so that the organizing committee can finalize the relevant arrangements.

Conference Fees

Registration Fee: 1000 RMB per person; 500 RMB for current postgraduate students (with valid student ID).

Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses. Detailed arrangements and further notices will be announced later.

Contact Information

Ms. Wang: +86-13596901443

Ms. Yuan: +86-18929011901

Email: globalsouthlit_tj@163.com

School of Foreign Studies, Tongji University September 9th, 2026