David Damrosch

David Damrosch, the Ernest Bernbaum Professor of Comparative Literature at Harvard University and Director of the Institute for World Literature, has fundamentally transformed the field of world literature studies. After completing his education at Yale University (B.A. 1975, Ph.D. 1980), he developed groundbreaking approaches to studying literature across cultures and time periods. His influential works include "What Is World Literature?" (2003), "The Buried Book" (2007), and "Around the World in 80 Books" (2021), which have reshaped how scholars approach global literary studies. Damrosch's exceptional linguistic abilities, including proficiency in German, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Nahuatl, Old Norse, Akkadian, and biblical Hebrew, enable him to engage directly with texts across multiple cultures. His scholarly contributions extend beyond research to pedagogy, where he serves as the general editor of the six-volume Longman Anthology of World Literature and has developed innovative courses at Harvard, including "Masterpieces of World Literature" and "Modern Masterpieces of World Literature." In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field, he was awarded the 2023 Balzan Prize for World Literature, cementing his position as one of the most respected figures in contemporary literary studies