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The Cluster of Excellence 2020 "Temporal Communities: Doing Literature in a Global Perspective" aims to create a new theoretical and methodological take on literature in a global perspective. Introducing the notion of ‘temporal communities’, the Cluster investigates the ways in which literature reaches out through space and time, establishing complex temporalities and extensive transcultural and transtemporal networks as it interacts with other arts and media. The Cluster’s research is conducted within five Research Areas: 1. Competing Communities, 2. Travelling Matters, 3. Future Perfect, 4. Literary Currencies, 5. Building Digital Communities.

The postdoctoral position is situated in Research Area (RA) 4, "Literary Currencies". Research Area 4 addresses the question of how literature is subjected to processes of valuation and re-evaluation as it circulates between cultures, languages, media and markets. RA 4 addresses problems of canon formation, notions of authorship, the circulation of texts and literary concepts and the economic dimensions of this circulation. One important focus is on the rise and fall of literary currencies, on the fluctuating prestige enjoyed by literary texts and genres. How do changing notions of literary value shape literature’s temporal communities? Expected starting date of the position: 1 January 2022. Further information: www.temporal-communities.de.

Further information in the job advertisements of Freie Universität Berlin from 19. September 2021 under the reference code: EXC 2020 RT C Postdoc RA4 2022  (PDF).

Job description:

• development and implementation of an individual research project within Research Area 4 „Literary Currencies“ with the aim of completing a monograph

• taking the lead in organising research cooperation within Research Area 4
• coordinating Research Area 4’s contributions to the Living Handbook of Temporal Communities in close cooperation with the Managing Editor and the Editorial Board
• a substantial contribution to the further development of the cluster’s concepts and methodology and of its international networks

• conceiving and organising international, interdisciplinary workshops and conferences
• mentoring the doctoral students of the Research Area 

• liaising with the Research Area’s international fellows
• responsibility for the Research Area’s financial administration in cooperation with the Cluster’s Managing Director

Requirements:
doctoral thesis in in literary studies or a related discipline requiring literary studies expertise

Desirable:

• a thorough familiarity with the research focus of RA 4 and with the issues of literary worth/ evaluations, literary circulations, canon formation and issues concerning the social field of literature 

• experience in coordinating and managing academic projects
• experience in working in interdisciplinary collaborative research projects: a team-oriented work attitude, international networking experience and familiarity with different scholarly cultures and academic systems (international experience)
• experience in conceiving, planning and organising a broad variety of formats of scholarly exchange (workshops, conferences, possibly even newly conceived formats)


• an excellent doctoral thesis
• a very good knowledge of both German and English (with a minimum competence in one of these languages at the level of C1 GER and the other at the level of B2 GER)

Further Information

In addition to the usual documents (CV, references, list of publications), applications should include a maximum 5-page synopsis of the planned book project in German or English. The synopsis should show how the project contributes to the research agenda of the Cluster and to the Research Area. Applications, indicating the reference code, should be sent electronically by e-mail as ONE pdf-file to Prof. Dr. Michael Gamper and Prof Dr. Jutta Müller-Tamm: ra4@temporal-communities.de.

For administrative reasons, only electronic applications can be accepted.

With an electronic application, you acknowledge that FU Berlin saves and processes your data. FU Berlin cannot guarantee the security of your personal data if you send your application over an unencrypted connection.

Freie Universität Berlin is an equal opportunity employer.