Middle Eastern Literatures

Scope & Guideline

Connecting Cultures Through Literary Innovation

Introduction

Immerse yourself in the scholarly insights of Middle Eastern Literatures with our comprehensive guidelines detailing its aims and scope. This page is your resource for understanding the journal's thematic priorities. Stay abreast of trending topics currently drawing significant attention and explore declining topics for a full picture of evolving interests. Our selection of highly cited topics and recent high-impact papers is curated within these guidelines to enhance your research impact.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1475-262x
PublisherROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 2009 to 2024
AbbreviationMIDDLE EAST LIT / Middle East. Lit.
Frequency3 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address2-4 PARK SQUARE, MILTON PARK, ABINGDON OX14 4RN, OXON, ENGLAND

Aims and Scopes

The journal 'Middle Eastern Literatures' aims to explore and analyze the diverse literary expressions emerging from the Middle East, engaging with both historical and contemporary contexts. It fosters a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses various genres, languages, and cultural discourses.
  1. Exploration of Cultural Identity:
    The journal emphasizes the exploration of cultural identities, particularly in relation to themes like exile, diaspora, and national struggles, as seen in the works of Palestinian and other Middle Eastern authors.
  2. Intertextuality and Literary Traditions:
    There is a consistent focus on intertextuality within and across literary traditions, such as Arabic and Persian literatures, highlighting how historical texts inform contemporary writings.
  3. Critical Engagement with Modernity:
    The journal engages critically with themes of modernity, postmodernity, and their implications on literature, examining how these concepts affect narrative structures and literary forms.
  4. Women's Voices and Gender Studies:
    A core area of interest is the representation of women and gender in literature, exploring how female authors and characters navigate societal norms and express agency through their narratives.
  5. Ecocriticism and Environmental Themes:
    The journal is increasingly incorporating ecocritical perspectives, analyzing how literature reflects and responds to environmental issues, particularly in the context of climate change and urbanization.
  6. Political and Aesthetic Critique:
    There is a significant focus on literature as a form of political critique, examining how authors respond to authoritarianism, war, and social injustice through their artistic practices.
The journal 'Middle Eastern Literatures' is currently experiencing a surge in interest in several emerging themes that reflect contemporary societal issues and literary innovations.
  1. Diaspora and Exile Narratives:
    Recent publications increasingly focus on diaspora and exile, exploring how Middle Eastern authors articulate their experiences of displacement and the complexities of identity in a globalized world.
  2. Climate Fiction and Ecocriticism:
    The integration of climate fiction within the journal's scope highlights an emerging interest in how literature addresses environmental crises, particularly in the context of the Middle East's ecological challenges.
  3. Intersectionality in Gender Studies:
    There is a growing trend towards intersectional analyses of gender, examining how race, class, and sexuality intersect in the literary representations of women and marginalized groups.
  4. Aesthetic Responses to Authoritarianism:
    The journal is increasingly publishing works that critique authoritarian regimes through aesthetic means, reflecting a rising interest in literature as a form of resistance and social commentary.
  5. Translingualism and Cultural Hybridity:
    Emerging themes related to translingualism and cultural hybridity are prevalent, showcasing how writers navigate multiple languages and cultural influences in their works, reflecting the complexities of identity in the modern world.

Declining or Waning

While 'Middle Eastern Literatures' continues to evolve, certain themes have become less prominent in recent publications, reflecting shifts in scholarly interest and societal concerns.
  1. Traditional Literary Forms:
    The exploration of conventional or classical literary forms, such as traditional poetry and narrative structures, appears to be waning as the journal increasingly prioritizes contemporary and experimental approaches.
  2. Historical Narratives:
    There is a noticeable decline in the emphasis on purely historical narratives, with fewer publications focusing solely on historical figures or events without connecting them to current cultural or political issues.
  3. Simplistic Nationalism:
    Discussions centered around simplistic or essentialist notions of nationalism are decreasing, as the journal shifts towards more complex and nuanced understandings of identity that account for transnational and diasporic realities.
  4. Romanticism and Idealism:
    Themes rooted in romanticism or idealistic portrayals of Middle Eastern cultures are becoming less frequent, indicating a move towards more critical and realistic portrayals of social and political issues.

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