Locating Algerian literature in world literature

Abstract

ABSTRACTHow do current theories of world literature construct their object and how do they map world literary space? This article examines these questions in light of the reception of “Global South” or “postcolonial” writers in theories of world literary culture, including those of Pascale Casanova, Fredric Jameson and Franco Moretti. Focusing on the case of Algeria, the article considers how several widely-shared narratives about world literary history have shaped the dynamics of critical reception. It also contends that narratives of world literature have tended to overemphasize the center–periphery divide, neglecting other geographies of production and circulation.