Pieter Vermeulen

KU Leuven’s Faculty of Arts is offering a four-year PhD position in Literary Studies / Translation Studies on the project “Digital Magazines and the Emergence of Contemporary World Literature.” The position is part of the broader EMLIT research program, which investigates pluriactivity, digitality, and mobility as key features of how world literature is produced and circulated today. The doctoral project is based at KU Leuven’s Leuven campus, with close collaboration across the university’s Antwerp and Leuven research environments. The work is situated within the research groups Translation & Intercultural Transfer and English Literature . KU Leuven presents the project as part of a collaborative and international research setting focused on transnational literature and translation studies. The project examines contemporary digital literary magazines—such as Asymptote —as important outlets for emerging world literature. It asks how curatorial and translation strategies shape professional identities, textual forms, and the circulation of authors across borders. The successful candidate will map the textual output, source languages, topics, authors, and translators featured in the selected magazines; analyze mission statements, introductory materials, and other digital epitexts; compare selected issues; and interview editors and authors. The dissertation will offer a comprehensive analysis of the role of digital literary magazines in the making of contemporary world literature. The successful PhD researcher will work closely with the project’s supervisors and institutional partners, disseminate findings through journal articles, edited volumes, conference papers, and workshops, and participate in doctoral training. The role also includes limited teaching or support duties and exam invigilation. The expected working pattern includes regular presence on the Leuven campus and periodic meetings in Antwerp. Funding: the position is advertised as a full-time doctoral fellowship for four years. The appointment starts for one year and, after a positive evaluation, is extended for three additional years. A budget for research-related expenses, including travel, is provided. Eligibility highlights: applicants should hold an MA in Translation Studies, Literary Studies, or a comparable degree; have excellent English and multilingual abilities; and either already know or be ready to learn digital humanities methods. The ideal candidate is strongly interested in contemporary literature, literary circulation, and the lived social dimensions of literature, and is comfortable working collaboratively across disciplines. Application window: deadline 2026-09-30. Shortlisted applicants will be notified by 2026-10-06 and interviews are scheduled for 2026-10-12 to 2026-10-23. The ideal starting date is 2027-01-01, subject to visa and relocation arrangements.

KU Leuven’s Faculty of Arts is advertising a fully funded PhD position in Literary Studies / Translation Studies focused on Writer’s Residencies and the Emergence of World Literature . The project sits within the larger EMLIT research program, which examines how world literature is shaped by pluriactivity, digital mediation, and mobility. The doctoral work will be based mainly on the Leuven campus, with close collaboration with researchers in Leuven and Antwerp. The project investigates European writer’s residencies as key sites in the making of contemporary world literature. It will compare three residency contexts: Passa Porta in Brussels, the Danish Centre for Writers and Translators at Hald Hovedgaard, and the Bergman Estate on the island of Fårö. The research combines textual analysis with sociological and ethnographic methods, including surveys, site visits, interviews, and close reading of literary texts produced in residency contexts. The PhD candidate will write a dissertation on the role of these residencies in literary creativity, place, mobility, and literary form. The successful applicant will join the research groups Translation & Intercultural Transfer and English Literature at KU Leuven, and will work with project supervisors Núria Codina Solà, Jack McMartin, and Pieter Vermeulen. The position includes participation in the doctoral training program, collaborative research activities, conference presentations, publications, workshop organization, and a limited amount of teaching or support duties. Some research travel in Europe is also expected. This is a four-year doctoral fellowship: the appointment starts for one year and is extended by three years after a positive evaluation. A research expenses budget is included. Candidates should hold an MA in Translation Studies, Literary Studies, Cultural Sociology, or a comparable degree, have excellent English, and ideally offer multilingual or Scandinavian language skills. The position is open to applicants with strong interests in contemporary literature, literary sociology, translation studies, and the transnational circulation of texts and writers. Application deadline: 2026-09-30. Applicants must submit a CV with BA/MA grades, a motivation letter, a writing sample of up to 20 pages, and contact information for two references. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to prepare a short research proposal for interview. The ideal start date is 1 January 2027.