This paper critically examines the "owlscapes," or the ecocultural representation of owls in the Indigenous aetiological myths and folklore of colonial West Bengal, with a focus on two particular species of owls in West Bengal. Owls occupy an ambivalent position in Indian cultural narratives—while venerated as the vāhana (mount) of Goddess Lakshmi, they are also burdened with superstitions that cast them as omens of misfortune. Engaging with Donna Haraway’s (2003) concept of "natureculture," ( this paper argues that myths and folklore serve as ecocultural texts that both shape and reflect human perceptions of nonhuman species, resisting the binary between nature and culture.

Through an analysis of Saratchandra Mitra’s (1928) reports of the Studies in Bird Myths series, the paper explores aetiological myths that narrate the ecocultural significance of the Brown Fish Owl and the Barn Owl. The myth about the two birds embed themes of neglect and irony within local oral traditions, while illustrating how owls become symbols of regret and loss. These myths reinforce the cultural positioning of owls within Bengali society, revealing underlying anxieties about wealth, familial discord, and social exclusion.

At the same time, the paper juxtaposes such folkloric narratives with esoteric texts like Ullu Tantra, which codify harmful superstitions and contribute to the commodification of owls in ritualistic practices. By analyzing these texts alongside indigenous oral traditions, this study highlights how folklore can serve as a space for reinterpreting owls beyond exploitative frameworks. Drawing from postcolonial ecocriticism (Huggan and Tiffin 2010) and contemporary folklore studies (Bendix 1997), the paper situates these narratives within broader discourses on environmental ethics and indigenous knowledge.

By recognising the owl’s role as an active participant in both ecological and cultural systems, the paper challenges dominant anthropocentric perceptions and advocates for a more nuanced understanding of human-owl relationships. This reframing not only contests colonial and exploitative narratives, but also fosters an ethical approach to conservation that is culturally informed and ecologically responsible.

Works cited:

Bendix, R. In Search of Authenticity: The Formation of Folklore Studies. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1997.

Dixit R. (2018), Ullu Tantra. Delhi, Creative Publication.

Haraway, D. The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness. Chicago: Prickly Paradigm Press, 2003.

Huggan, Gr. and Helen T. Postcolonial Ecocriticism: Literature, Animals, Environment. London: Routledge, 2010.

Mitra, S. “Studies in Bird Myths About the Brown Fish Owl.” Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society 18, no. 2 (1928).

Mitra, S. “Studies in Bird Myths No. XX- On the Aetiological Myth About the Barn Owl or the Screech-Owl.” Quarterly Journal of the Mythic Society 18, no. 3 (1928).

This paper shall explore the transformation of the idea of Rama and Shiva from the middle-era literary texts and folktales to contemporary age. I would also like to trace the role of ideology to reshape and modify the narratives of Rama and Shiva in recent days.

In different versions and forms of Ramayana, due to retelling and re-narrating, Rama’s narrative got transformed and reshaped over time according to local socio-cultural scene. Valmiki Ramayana got translated into different languages through ages and all these translated texts carry unique linguistic-cultural politics. The theme is same in all these texts but the plot and narrative techniques are different. The same in his revisiting displayed different or even opposite characteristics- difference-in-identity. The identity of Rama is created through diversified narratives through orature, myths, movies, performances and literary texts.

Krittibas Ojha translated ‘Ramayana’ into Bangla in 16th century and the version of Rama he presented in his text was quite different from the ‘Ramayana’ composed by Valmiki. Tulsidas’s ‘Ramcharitamanasa’ focused on portraying devotion and love where the hero Rama loved all irrespective of caste and socio-cultural inequalities. In ‘Annadamangal Kavya’, written by Bharatchandra, Shiva has been portrayed as an emotional, desire-driven, bohemian husband. In Agamani (homecoming) songs too, Shiva’s portrayal is not like a powerful, masculine, aggressive god. He possesses human qualities and flaws too. In the folktales of Bengal Shiva has been presented as an old, family-loving, peasant who even begs to Annapurna (another form of Goddess Durga).

In the modern Indian socio-politics, an emergent ‘model’ of Rama and Shiva negates the aforementioned difference-in-identity. A politico-religious discourse, matched with the majoritarian desire, has been imposed upon other cultural beliefs through digitized propaganda. Songs and videos composed/created and released on various social media platform depicted Shiva and Rama as aggressive, masculine and war-mongering characters. Portrayal of their characters evokes Raudra Rasa and Veer Rasa. Chanting the names of Rama or Shiva have been turned into political slogans. These elements can be traced in the Bollywood movies, media presentation and social media narratives in the last two decades. In the post-truth era political propagandists re-created narratives, blurring the boundary between history and fiction, to reshape the memory and public understanding of cultural-religious identity.

How is the depiction of Shiva and Rama on social media different from the age-old texts and diversified myths? How did the digitized narratives (especially on social media) become too popular to dominate the collective emotions and historical memories? What is the role of the state to appease the majoritarian desire to promote the newly-built image of Shiva and Rama? I would like to find answers to these questions in my paper.

Life writing, as an obituary or memorial talk, overwrites people’s own biography and memoirs. Concerning public figures of note, it patronizes as it purports to memorialize people as a first draft of history for the consumption of the general public. The memorial talk or obituary fixes the subjects image in the public mind in a condensed and highly selective way isolating and individualizing the subject to an extreme degree. It oversimplifies and controls the image. Writers employ life writing to serve their own ends, and a life writing is always written by another person a friend or colleague, it is a bibliographical article. A person is being appropriated for the next generation who protects a memory by creating it. The paper investigates the well-known Orientalist Armin Vámbéry’s obituary by the very famous orientalist Ignac Goldziher positioning of the former in relation to Hungarology that was quintessential in arguing Jewish loyalties to Hungary. In this way Goldziher put forward the notion that they are both Hungarian who pursue Oriental Studies out of love for their home, Hungary. At the turn of the twentieth century the Orient was employed as a metaphor to underscore the unique identity of Hungarians, positioning them as both Eastern and Western, distinguishing them from other Europeans. This nationalist-driven discourse formed the backdrop for Hungarian Oriental Studies. Like their Hungarian counterparts, Jewish scholars sought to trace the history of the Magyars in Asia, and the mixing of various peoples in the Orient before the Magyars migrated to Europe. In doing so, Hungarian Jews aimed to present themselves as authentic Hungarians and what patter place than in obituaries and memorial talks.

Selon le chercheur Claude Tapia, « le courant postmoderne véhicule […] des tendances au désenchantement, au pessimisme, au scepticisme à l’égard des valeurs héritées des Lumières ». La littérature, dans ce contexte, adopte une position critique vis-à-vis de la société contemporaine, où le progrès technique ne se solde pas forcément par une augmentation du bonheur humain. La technologie, omniprésente, revêt, en particulier, une dimension à la fois utopique et dystopique.

Cette dualité s’observe dans les romans de Michel Houellebecq. La technologie y apparaît comme une réponse potentielle aux maux de la postmodernité. Dans Les particules élémentaires, face à l’aliénation généralisée, l’auteur envisage une solution radicale : le clonage ; afin de créer une nouvelle race humaine, asexuée et immortelle, libérée des afflictions de l’existence. L’homme serait ainsi immergé dans un présent sans fin, où les liens avec autrui seraient indissolubles et la notion de séparation, obsolète. Cependant, cette utopie transhumaniste soulève de nombreuses interrogations. Les clones, malgré leur longévité, semblent réduits à une existence virtuelle et désincarnée. Dans La possibilité d’une île, les néo-humains se distinguent par leur apathie et leur existence routinière. Leur société, fortement aseptisée, est caractérisée par l’absence de contact physique, la répression du désir et l’atomisation des individus. Dans Sérotonine, Houellebecq explore les conséquences des innovations technologiques dans le domaine agricole. La mondialisation et l’industrialisation de l’agriculture, tout en augmentant la productivité, entraînent la disparition de modes de vie traditionnels et posent des questions environnementales.

En somme, à travers l’œuvre de Houellebecq, la technologie, loin d’être une solution miracle, se révèle un outil ambivalent. Elle peut être porteuse aussi bien d’espoir que de menace. Entre utopie et dystopie, les représentations littéraires de la technologie chez Houellebecq invitent à une réflexion critique sur son rôle dans la société contemporaine.

L’intégration des extraits littéraires dans l'enseignement du FLE ne doit pas être perçue comme un simple ajout, mais comme un moyen de rendre l’apprentissage plus vivant et engageant. Il s’agit des outils puissants pour stimuler l’intérêt des apprenants et approfondir leur compréhension de la culture francophone. Cependant, de nombreux enseignants de FLE hésitent à exploiter ces extraits ou les omettent. Ce constat est fréquent dans l’enseignement du FLE, où l’accent est souvent mis sur des approches plus fonctionnelles ou pratiques. Avec l’omniprésence de la technologie, ces extraits tombent parfois dans l’oubli.

Une question s'est alors posée à nous, enseignants de FLE : la technologie constitue-t-elle un défi pour l’intégration des extraits littéraires ? Notre travail démontre le contraire. Grâce aux outils numériques, ces extraits prennent une nouvelle dimension, rendant l'enseignement plus interactif et engageant. Les technologies modernes permettent aux apprenants d’accéder à une vaste diversité d’œuvres littéraires francophones via des plateformes de lecture en ligne, des podcasts ou des ressources multimédias. Cela ouvre la voie à un véritable enrichissement culturel francophone, en plongeant dans les réalités historiques et sociales à travers des supports variés.

En parallèle, les extraits littéraires, associés à des activités interactives comme des quiz ou des discussions en ligne, favorisent le développement des compétences linguistiques des apprenants. Ils peuvent donc mieux comprendre les subtilités de la langue, tout en étant guidés par des outils d’analyse de texte et des plateformes éducatives.

De plus, l’utilisation de la technologie permet un engagement culturel plus fort. En participant à des forums en ligne ou en analysant les textes à travers des outils numériques, les étudiants s’approprient les œuvres de manière plus active. Ils apprennent à interagir avec la culture francophone tout en renforçant leur compréhension des textes littéraires.

Enfin, les extraits littéraires, même intégrés dans un cadre technologique, continuent de transmettre des leçons de vie intemporelles. Nous avons ainsi réussi à exploiter un extrait du roman Bel-Ami de Guy de Maupassant, introduit dans la méthode Inspire 3, comme étude de cas. Ces extraits apportent aux apprenants non seulement la richesse de la langue et de la culture, mais également de nombreuses autres vertus telles que l’ouverture d’esprit, l’engagement émotionnel, la pensée critique, et l’empathie à travers des leçons de vie significatives sur des thématiques universelles.

Des pages numériques aux cœurs, l’alliance de la littérature et de la technologie offre un apprentissage du FLE plus enrichissant.

This paper examines how queerness in broad terms can be conceived as a radical biopoliticized project – one that fosters estranging yet empowering transnational solidarities between those who are othered on the basis of identity by social, technical and affective means. I seek to investigate digital media texts and practices from both a scholarly and artistic perspectives that mobilize the inherently fluidity of queerness to cultivate an intimacy and relationality with those pushed toward the margins. My paper reflects on the holistic conditions they are creating in order begin to identify new and potentially transformative feelings to build upon. It not only recognizes the difficulty and precarity of being queer in the Asian diaspora, but also considers what it would mean to think about LGBTQ life as the starting point for imagining radically new futures for queer Asian diasporans and the broader communities and environments in which they live.

Specifically, my paper explores the ways visual records of queer experience and belongingness within the Asian diasporic communities are inscribed within the materiality, affectivity, and performativity of digital media texts and practices. Focusing on queer diasporic Chinese artist LuYang’s multimedia work titled DOKU: The Binary World (2023), I use digital ethnography and visual anthropology to inquire about how different transmedia practices of imagining and embodying queerness are mediated within virtual spaces. The networked, live motion-captured performance of DOKU: The Binary World is a real-time collaboration between motion-captured dancers – embodying the avatar forms of LuYang's genderless digital bodies – in two different geographical locations interacting in the same virtual environment. My paper wishes to illuminate how racialized queer bodies and desires with queer relations are relegated to liminal spatio-temporalities in cyberspaces. In so doing, I hope to elicit a shared future that is reciprocal and liberatory. A future that sees the power of digital media practices and makes the virtual part of the conversation around queer diasporic freedom and pleasure.

In the 21st century, the concept of Ramrajya—an idealized vision of governance and society rooted in Valmiki’s Ramayana and Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, later reinterpreted by Mahatma Gandhi—has gained renewed prominence in Indian political discourse, particularly through digital media. This paper examines how contemporary political movements, particularly those led by the BJP, instrumentalize Ramrajya as a powerful cultural and emotional narrative, drawing from the broader tradition of Ram Katha to consolidate ideological unity and mobilize support.

This study further explores how social media platforms reshape Ramrajya narratives, transforming them into hybrid storytelling forms that interweave myth, cultural memory, and political ideology. Platforms such as X, Instagram, and Facebook do more than archive these narratives; they actively reconstruct them, leveraging emotionally resonant and visually compelling content to expand their reach. By analyzing digital campaigns, memes, and visual imagery, this paper investigates how Ramrajya is reimagined in digital spaces to forge collective identity and reinforce political narratives amid rising polarization and rapid technological shifts.

By situating Ramrajya at the crossroads of traditional mythology and contemporary political communication, this paper highlights its enduring significance in shaping cultural memory, political mobilization, and ideological frameworks in 21st-century India.

In recent decades, theorists have introduced and approached the concept of using external environmental factors to define the self in relation to technology, covering concepts ranging from dematerialization to the co-construction of the self. Their theoretical and underlying technological novelty notwithstanding, recent debates on the co-construction of the self strikingly resemble late 20th-century postmodern conceptions of the death of the author. Barthes, for example, re-conceptualized authorship as an essentially instrumental function in the re-circulation of language in his essay "The Death of the Author." Similarly, in his lecture famously titled "What is an Author?," Foucault reduced traditionally expansive notions of authorship to specific social and juridical frameworks of rights, responsibilities, and ownership. This unexpected convergence raises the question of the extent to which postmodern theories of the death of the author can help reconceive the balance between increasingly universal AI technology and individual identity in 21st-century education. This paper accordingly examines postmodern efforts to redefine the previously established role of the author, probing how far such a position could be extended in AI-informed educational contexts. Accounts of digital Darwinism were then examined to reveal the broader, ongoing dissolution of authorship, especially in classroom creative writing settings. Finally, data on the influence of technological experience on student writing styles was considered for evidence of a convergence of digital media in traditionally humanist pedagogical practices. This paper argues for the resilience of the notion of authorship in creative writing pedagogy, insisting that information gained through digital media and AI interactions remains central to self-expression and the co-construction of identity.

The Zhongyong, also known as The Doctrine of the Mean, has gradually attained recognition as a philosophical classic over more than 300 years of translation endeavor, since its initial English translation in 1691. A comprehensive review of its translation history unveils significant shifts in the understanding and reception of The Zhongyong. The work has been rendered into 29 English versions, that encompasses full translations, selected translations, compilations, and even adaptations in comic form. In this paper a detailed overview of the English translation history of The Zhongyong is presented, that categorizes it into three distinct phases: (1) “An Interpretation of Confucianism through a Christian Lens (1691-1905)”, in which, translators primarily sought to draw parallels between Confucianism and Christianity. (2) “An Interpretation of Confucianism through Western Cultural Frameworks (1906-2000)”, where translators predominantly adopted a culturally oriented translation strategy, that aligned The Zhongyong with Western philosophical and cultural paradigms. (3) “A Reinterpretation of Confucianism through Its Chinese Cultural Context (2001-present)”, in which, the focus shifts to the restoration of the original philosophical and cultural essence of the text, and contributes to its canonization as a philosophical classic within global discourse. The translation of the title “Zhongyong,” is further examined through an analysis of four representative renditions to illustrate the diverse conceptual understandings they reflect. The findings indicate a notable trend towards interpretive translation, wherein various strategies are employed to enhance readers’ comprehension of complex philosophical concepts. As the demographic of translators has diversified, translation strategies have also evolved from domestication in the earlier phases to foreignization in the contemporary phase, which signifies a growing emphasis on preserving the authentic Chinese philosophical context.

When The Sorrows of Young Werther was published in Europe, it instantly created an enormous social impact, where many enchanted readers imitated the outfit, the temperament, and even the suicidal decision of Werther. This phenomenon, known variously as the “Werther Fervor”, the “Cult of Werther”, or the “Werther Effect”, has long been discussed in the Western academia. The term “Werther effect” has been used to refer to “imitation suicides elicited by media portrayals of suicide”, and it has since been widely researched in the fields of public health, media studies, and cultural studies. In this research, I discuss the Chinese counterpart of the Werther fervor in the early twentieth-century by probing the way readers merged their reading of this novel with their own circumstances. I then zoom in on how the impact of Guo Moruo’s translation may have been associated with the suicides of young students, a striking social phenomenon observed by many Republican critics.

While Goethe was already introduced to Chinese readers as early as 1898, he only became much more widely known after the first full translation of Werther, translated by Guo Moruo, was published in April 1922 by Taidong Book Company in Shanghai. Between 1922 and 1932, Guo’s translation was reprinted over 50 times, testifying to the extent of its popularity. In fact, Guo’s translation of Werther not only left an indelible mark on the modern Chinese language, but also wielded an enormous influence on the susceptible minds of young Chinese writers and common readers alike. The most notable worshippers of Werther include Guo Moruo himself, Tian Han, and Zong Baihua, who together composed the anthology Kleeblatt (三叶集 Shamrock) to focus solely on Goethe, as well as a less known yet equally, if not more, passionate follower, the playwright Cao Xuesong. I examine the reading of Werther by these writers as well as by common readers, before probing the close relation between the reading of this work of popular literature and the social issue of suicides in China at the time.

Drawing on trauma studies and memory theories, this paper examines Malaysian Chinese writer Tan Twan Eng's English novels, The Gift of Rain and The Garden of Evening Mists, analysing how they engage with themes of forgiveness and memory ethics in the context of Malaysia's 1980s Look East policy. Tan's novels powerfully depict the trauma of Japanese occupation in Malaysia while exploring his protagonists' complex struggle between preserving wartime memories and healing from trauma. Rather than advocating for post-war retribution, his works thoughtfully examine the intricate process of restoring justice while preserving traumatic memories.

Tan's novels skillfully balance the duty to remember with an aspiration for peace, proposing a path toward non-violent reconciliation with former perpetrators. Through this lens, Tan's work offers both a novel approach to traumatic narrative and a fresh perspective on justice. While acknowledging that historical memory and justice for victims remain essential moral imperatives, Tan suggests that love, forgiveness, and friendship can serve to promote peace and reconciliation with former adversaries.

This is particularly evident in the meaningful interactions between protagonists and their Japanese visitors, which symbolise an ethics of non-violent reconciliation, whereby collective remembrance facilitates communal healing. Through these encounters, Tan envisions a future where former enemies can forge peaceful relationships, potentially preventing future conflicts. His work demonstrates that while we must maintain our responsibility to remember history and seek justice for victims, these goals can be achieved through paths that emphasise understanding and reconciliation rather than retribution.

The idea of sacrifice is evident in narrative systems throughout different languages. In European as well as Indian context, there are epics and other narrative forms which show the presence of the idea of sacrifice. In the European context, we can start with epics like The Iliad and The Odyssey, which possess characters with sacrifice being one of the features in them. While in the Indian context, we have Ramayana, which also shows the same. I will be extensively talking about the emergence of sacrifice from Iliad to Meghanada Badh Kavya. On the other hand, we also have a sacrificial nature in the Indian context which can be traced to be present. It is seen throughout the epics (and Mahakavyas in India) of different languages that one of the common generic markers is the presence of war in epics. Now, very simply, these narratives have one or generally more warrior noble characters. These noble characters are meant to go through certain types of journeys of their own and also go through certain types of sacrifices. I will be starting the paper by introducing the archetype I have selected from the epic The Iliad and will further try to find its emergence in the characters of other epics like Odysseus and Meghnad Badh Kavya. I will take up the presence of sacrifice across epics in different contexts and trace it through certain characters of these epics. The image of sacrifice which I will be talking about differs from epic to epic, which is based on the situation the character is in but acts as the ultimate path to achieve their goal. I have taken sacrifice as an archetype because of its presence in the epic Iliad and Odysseus as well (Ramayana as well), which further is also seen in other epics. I will be focusing upon a specific image which is of a male character. The sacrifice is shown as something important which leads to them fulfilling their duty towards the nation, family, society, etc. The characters which I will be focusing upon are Hector from The Iliad, Odysseus from The Odyssey and Meghnad from Meghnad Badh Kavya. To also show its presence in Indian Mahakavyas, I will be taking up the Lakhman from Ramayana.

Pain and Trauma axiomatically understood in many subjective sensitivities - may be referred to be fluid, transient and enigmatic in phenomenal reality and in context of consciousness-raising which actually in categorization of varied independent constructs that is resistance, resilience, precarity, rehabilitation, reinstatement etc. Simplistically put, pain is unpleasant, yet the context determines its configuration and reception. Moreover, fixed definitions and meanings can be slippery as they go beyond emotional and sensory experiences; they are shaped by a number of social and cultural factors and are experienced variously. The psychodrama of protest and experience while in pain and trauma, anxieties for instance - cannot be standardized and sometimes it seems to resist description entirely. The narratives and accounts of the tangibly felt and perceived experiences of pain and trauma may become an axiomatic reference to the overall human experience of mortality.

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Abstract:

Translation apparently appears to be more than a semantic transfer of the basic information, and it is not an apolitical process. Jacques Derrida terms it much more complicated than merely a direct transfer of language. Transference of meaning from the source language to the target language engages both the linguistic and cultural processes. Lexical equivalence of words of one language to those of another language does not justifiably define translation. The most challenging task of translation is to grasp the arbitrariness of the meanings of the source language and incorporate it into the target language as much as possible. This arbitrariness creates spatiality which allows a translator to utilize his authority of imposing gravity, levity, faithfulness, or even faithlessness upon the target text. True, translation, in this modern world of multilingualism, multiculturalism and globalization can be the gateway to reciprocation of cognition and mutual comprehensibility. In Bangladesh, which is predominantly a monolingual country, translation from English to Bengali and vice versa is widely practiced? However, it is irrefutable that translation is never apolitical as it possesses the potential to construct, deconstruct and reconstruct the conscious incorporated into the source text. Besides, intertextuality between the ideology of the translator and that of the source text has the capacity to construct a new conscious and promote the hegemony of the translator. It is really a crucial issue pertinent to the translation process and requires in-depth research. This paper will address the research question- how does translation process construct, deconstruct and reconstruct? This paper will use Jacques Derrida’s theoretical framework of translation and consider select Bangladeshi translators and their works as samples.

This paper traces how the Jinghai Fenji 靖海氛記 [Record of the

Pacification of Pirates] by Qing dynasty historian Yuan Yonglun 袁永

綸 blossomed—through translingual adaptation—into the Argentine writer

Jorge Luis Borges’s famous short story “La viuda Ching, pirata” [The

Widow Ching, Lady Pirate] in the latter’s 1935 collection, Historia

universal de la infamia, known in English as A Universal History of

Infamy.1 The original text, published in Canton in 1830, was translated into

English by German sinologist Charles Neumann in 1831; this in turn was

further adapted by British writer Philip Gosse into a portion of his The

History of Piracy, upon which Borges, knowing no Chinese, based his own

Spanish retelling.

By closely comparing Borges’s reworking with the previous Western

versions, and against the original source in Chinese, I argue that when

adapting the Chinese work, Borges opted for brevity and lightheartedness;

moreover, his multivoiced “baroque” Orientalism proved a self-conscious

parody of itself while caricaturing the biases of Chinese officialese at face

value, thereby offering a corrective to the fallacies of cultural appropriation.

One of the oldest poetic forms, the sonnet has long been associated with European love poetry dominated by white male voices. Since the 20th century, however, African American poets have redefined and transformed the sonnet into a distinctive Black poetic form, infusing it with their marginalized experiences and unique language. In this context, this paper analyzes Marilyn Nelson’s A Wreath for Emmett Till (2005), a sonnet sequence that memorializes Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy whose 1955 lynching became a pivotal moment in African American history, and explores how Nelson reclaims the sonnet as a powerful space for mourning, remembrance, and resistance. Focusing on the intersection of transgenerational trauma, art, and political activism, this paper discusses how the poet’s creative engagement with the sonnet reflects an effort to confront the traumatic legacy of racial violence embedded in collective memory while reshaping the European form into a monument to the sufferings and resilience of the African American people.

This article aims to analyze the fact that the technology of identifying counterfeits in traditional Chinese textual criticism is actually related to the construction of author identity and the representation of author concepts, especially the mature technology of identifying counterfeits formed in the early Qing Dynasty. It not only examines the credibility of literature, but also involves issues such as text production, author identity, meaning evolution, and material stability.

Traditional textual research often regards the identification of counterfeits as a technical examination of false events, false statements, and false books, while ignoring the supporting concepts behind the technology, namely the inherent interdependence between the sacredness of classical texts and author identity. In some contexts, the issue of confirming the authenticity of classical texts overlaps to a high extent with the confirmation of author identity. By focusing on the analysis and discussion of Yan Ruoqu (1636-1704), Hu Wei (1633-1714), Yao Jiheng (1647-1715) and other textual criticism scholars in the early Qing Dynasty, this study aims to reveal the differences in the number, titles, wording, and materials used between different versions of the Book of Documents, the Book of Changes, and the Preface to Mao Shi, as well as the differences in style, examples, and language styles of different classical texts compared to other texts of the same period. The study aims to reveal the behavior of verifying the authenticity of textual criticism in classical studies, as well as the relatively mature anti-counterfeiting techniques developed in the early Qing Dynasty. In fact, it aims to confirm the relationship between the text and the author, representing the dynamic construction of the author's identity and the generation of text meaning. Process. At the same time, this article attempts to use modern generative artificial intelligence technology to re-examine Yan Ruoqu's process and results of identifying counterfeits in the "Ancient Book of Documents". This article provides different perspectives on how technology deals with author concepts and the sacredness of classical texts, as well as related issues such as intertextuality and stability in literature.

In 1895, the first printing machinery factory, Li Chung Chang Machine Factory, was established in Shanghai, marking the transition of Chinese printing industry from woodblock printing to the mechanical age. Printers and publishers, as the carrier of material culture, have had an impact on the creation and distribution of Literary works. Before the mechanical age, official and private printing based on artisanal craftsmanship carried the public moral pursuits of the literati and scholars。But the situation changed in the course of economic development in the late Ming, when the book business gradually developed and commercial interests were gradually legitimised, meaning that books could be materialised objects carrying both moral and monetary values. When western technology was introduced to Shanghai， it combined with Chinese printing and publishing culture and business, finally transforming printing and publishing into mechanised production industry. The carrier feature of books is amplified several times over, culminating in printing capitalism. This revolution held authors and print publishers hostage, fostered the growth of modern Chinese literature, and allowed a commercially oriented readership market to expand. Meanwhile, in the field of literary writing, the old Chinese cultural values and behaviours have been impacted. The literati, intent on upholding the moral ideal of non-profit-making, have had to reconcile and balance their ideals and business under the impact of new technology and capital. Through specific literary works, such as Mao Dun's The Second Chapter of the Right, and The Young Printer，this paper will analyse the new authorial persona of writers who positioned themselves as disseminators of technology and enlighteners of progressive thought in the new technological environment and capital culture during the opening period of modern Chinese literature.

This paper contends that certain overbroad and misplaced "anti-machine" rhetoric has undermined the attempts to affirm the uniqueness of "biotranslator," presumed to differ from "machine translation." It aims, therefore, to further clarify the concept of translator-author creativity, particularly when it is not merely framed as an "added value," and what this creativity entails in the machine era. Additionally, this paper investigates whether contemporary machines, including machine-assisted translation tools and their operational mechanisms, contribute to enhancing the capabilities of translator-authors.

Modern ‘authorship’ theories are always implicitly nostalgic to ancient concepts of authorship, and often viewing Mallarmé as a key intellectual resource. Mallarmé believes that literature is a mere game akin to pyrotechnics, yet a slight au-delà beyond tautological existence could be found through literature. In his ideal, the impersonal “Book” that summarizes the entire world eliminates chance through technology, thus rendering the author unnecessary. This essay will briefly review the technical existence behind the ancient cases of problematic authorship and attempt to clarify Mallarmé’s complex author-technology theory.

In the past two decades, Austrian writer Clemens J. Setz (1982-) and German writer Daniel Kehlmann (1975-) have both been among the most brghtest stars of the German literature. In recent years, they have experimented with and reflected on the concept of the machine author/machine writing in "Bot: Conversations Without the Author" (2018) and "My Algorithm and Me" (2021) respectively. Setz is particularly interested in the mirror relationship between the author's ontology, the author's persona, and the AI-author surrogate. In "Bot: Conversations Without an Author", he conducts an experiment where on one hand, he himself, and on the other hand, an AI surrogate based on his journal entries, both respond to interview questions, effectively conducting a Turing test. Through the ambiguity brought by the AI author surrogate, he questions the authenticity of the author's self-construction and other issues. The AI author, however, clearly fails the Turing test in Kehlmann's view. Based on his collaborative writing with an AI author from a Silicon Valley startup, which resembles a ping-pong game, he sometimes finds signs of inspiration from the AI author, but ultimately feels disappointed by the AI-generated content. For Kehlmann, the AI author is not artificial intelligence but rather artificial rationality, as algorithms cannot truly become a creative writing agent that provides continuous inspiration. The AI literary experiments of both authors not only allow them to experiment with AI-generated content and examine the uniqueness of authorship and literary creation but also respond to the core inquiry of "What is an author, what is literary creation?" from different perspectives.

隨著數位時代的發展，人工智能和區塊鏈技術與創意寫作日漸發展了不少的交匯可能。這個現象，為創作寫作帶來了前所未有的機遇和挑戰。本文將探討這些技術對創意寫作生態的變革性影響，研究它們如何重塑作者、智慧財產權、文學生產和發行。

人工智能，特別是透過 GPT-4 等複雜模型，已成為強大的創意媒介。人工智能的生成能力能夠產生一般的傳意文字，以及含有更豐富文藝價值的文學作品，包括詩歌、散文、小說和戲劇劇本等等。這個現象，引發了關於創造力、原創性和人類創作本質的問題。本文將深入探討人工智慧作為協作工具的作用，可以幫助作家集思廣益、編輯和增強他們的創作過程。與此同時，本文也將會探討，人工智慧生成內容的興起，所引申的倫理討論，包括作者身份、所有權以及機器創作作品與人工敘事相比的真實性。

除了人工智能之外，還有一個新的科技技術，也同時在逐漸改變創意寫作生態環境，那就是區塊鏈技術。區塊鏈技術為知識產權和權利管理提供了革命性的解決方案。透過提供去中心化和不可變的記錄，區塊鏈確保了作者身份的安全，並以前所未有的方式，來保護智慧財產權。此外，區塊鏈促進了新的發行和貨幣化途徑，使作家能夠繞過傳統的看門人並直接與觀眾互動。本論文的第二部分，將探討了智能合約在自動化版稅支付，以及保障作家公平報酬的潛力，繼而再進一步探討這種技術，將怎樣改變傳統的出版模式。

本文將從歷史背景，回顧當今的技術變革，與過去文學生產發展（例如印刷機、打字機和數位出版的出現） 怎樣改變了文藝創作的生態。文章將會追溯作者身份在歷史上的演變，探討每一次技術革新，怎樣重塑了文學創作和傳播的格局。

總括而言，本文將會以後人類主義和技術文化等理論架構，來探討人類創造力和人工知能的交匯情況，同時也會討論人工知能和區塊鏈技術對文學創作，乃至對物質文化的影響，探討這些技術所帶來的機遇和在道德倫理和社會層面的挑戰。通過這個研究，本文冀能讓我們在這些新技術之下，可以怎樣優化創意寫作的生態，培育更具活力、包容性和創新性的文學景觀。

Artificial Intelligence and Machine translation have changed how we read and understand literature, especially in a diverse country like India. With so many languages and dialects, translating literary works is a big challenge. AI used tools like Google Translate that help to translate. However, they also come with challenges like loss of cultural depth and incorrect translations. This paper explores how AI make impact Indian and also global comparative literature, with a focus on Bengali literature.

AI has made it easier to translate literature from one language to another. For example, a famous Bengali novel like "Pather Panchali" by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay can now be translated into multiple languages using AI. This allows people who do not understand Bengali to read and enjoy it. AI helps in cross-cultural exchanges and makes regional literature reach a global audience.

But AI-based translation also has problems. One major issue is that AI may not understand the cultural depth of a language. If AI translates a poem by Rabindranath Tagore, it may not capture the true essence and beauty of the words. AI often translates literally, which can change the meaning of the text.

Another challenge is the dominance of certain languages. AI translation tools mostly focus on popular languages like English and Hindi, while smaller regional languages get less attention. This can lead to the loss of unique literary traditions in languages like Bengali, Tamil, or Assamese. Human translators are still needed to ensure that the true meaning of a literary work is preserved.

However, AI is also creating new opportunities. It allows more people to access literature from different regions. Platforms like Project Anuvaad and Google Bhashini are helping to bridge the language gap by translating Indian literature into various languages. This means that a Bengali novel can be read in Tamil or Marathi, increasing its reach and influence.

AI has also helped in comparative literature studies. Scholars can now analysed texts from different languages more easily. For example, researchers can compare Bengali literature with Hindi or Urdu literature using AI tools. This was difficult in the past because human translation took a lot of time and effort. AI speeds up the process and helps in finding similarities and differences between literary traditions.

Bengali literature has a long history of deep and meaningful storytelling. Writers like Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and Mahasweta Devi have written about social issues, human emotions, and historical events. If their works are translated by AI, readers from different parts of the world can learn about Bengal’s culture and history. However, AI must improve in understanding the true essence of these stories.

One major concern with AI translation is whether it truly represents the author’s voice. Literature is not just about words; it is about context, structure of narrative, story’s emotion etc. AI-generated translations may miss these aspects, leading to misunderstandings of the original work. For example, if AI translates a Bengali folk tale, it might not include the cultural significance behind the story, making it less impactful.

The use of AI in literature also has economic effects. Many human translators and literary experts fear that AI might take over their jobs. However, AI should be seen as a tool that helps translators rather than replacing them. Human expertise is still necessary to ensure accurate and meaningful translations.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine translation (MT) have both challenges and opportunities in Indian literature. While they help in spreading literature across languages, they must improve in capturing the depth and beauty of literary works. The case of Bengali literature shows that AI has a long way to go in understanding the richness of Indian storytelling. As AI technology develops, it must focus on cultural sensitivity and linguistic accuracy to truly benefit comparative literature in India and beyond.

Narrative Worlds of K-pop Idol Fan Fiction: A Comparative Digital Humanities Approach to Domestic and Global Fandoms

The growing prominence of K-pop idol intellectual property (IP) and its transnational fandoms has reshaped contemporary cultural industries, positioning K-pop not merely as a subcultural phenomenon but as a dominant force in the global entertainment market. This study investigates the mechanisms through which K-pop idol IPs construct narrative worlds and examines the role of fandom engagement in shaping these narratives.

A key focus of this research is the comparative analysis of fandom practices, particularly in the context of fan fiction and narrative consumption. Drawing from comparative literature perspectives, this study explores how domestic and international fans of EXO—a representative K-pop idol group—interact with and reinterpret idol narratives. It examines the extent to which these fan communities engage with official story worlds, idol personas, or their physical representations, highlighting key divergences in narrative focus across different cultural contexts.

To systematically analyze these phenomena, this study employs digital humanities methodologies, utilizing tf-idf keyword analysis and LDA topic modeling to extract thematic structures within fan-generated content. Furthermore, advanced visualization techniques—including PCA, t-SNE, UMAP+k-means, and UMAP+DBSCAN clustering—are applied to discern patterns in narrative engagement. Network analysis is also employed to map the relational structures between individual idol members, fan fiction narratives, and the broader K-pop story world.

The dataset for this study comprises over 30,000 English-language fan fiction works from Archive of Our Own (AO3), spanning from 2012 to the present (2025), offering insight into international fandom engagement. In contrast, Korean fan fiction is collected directly from dedicated fan communities and platforms, ensuring a representative dataset of domestic fan creations. By integrating comparative literary analysis with computational methodologies, this study provides a nuanced understanding of K-pop fandom’s role in narrative expansion and cultural production. The findings offer critical insights into the evolving dynamics of transnational fan engagement, contributing to the broader discourse on digital storytelling, participatory culture, and the intersections of technology and fandom studies.

K-pop, idol, EXO, fandom, narrative world, comparative literature, digital humanities, computational analysis, Comparative literature, fan fiction

Reclaiming Black Futures: Afrofuturism as a Transformative Response to Afropessimism.

Afrofuturism and Afropessimism represent two divergent frameworks for understanding Black existence, history, and future trajectories. while Afropessimism emphasizes the structural and historical conditions of anti-Black violence and the inescapable nature of Black suffering within the social order, Afrofuturism presents an alternative narrative that blends African diasporic culture with speculative. This presentation explores Afrofuturism as a critical response to Afropessimism, arguing that while Afropessimism effectively critiques current and historical forms of anti-Blackness, it risks reinforcing notions of Black death and despair without imagining pathways toward a future.

Afrofuturism, by contrast, constructs spaces where Black identity, joy, and futurity are envisioned through technology, space travel, and speculative worlds, creating new narratives in literature, music, and visual art that challenge the limitations imposed by both Western colonial histories and contemporary racial capitalism. This presentation will examine the literary works of Afrofuturists such as Octavia Butler and Sun Ra, alongside theorists like Kodwo Eshun and Alondra Nelson, to argue that Afrofuturism offers a transformative vision that reclaims Black agency, culture, and potentiality beyond the confines of current oppressive structures. This work argues that Afrofuturism is a vital component of Global Futurism, enriching the collective exploration of future possibilities by introducing narratives that reflect the experiences and aspirations of the African diaspora, thereby fostering a more inclusive and multifaceted understanding of potential futures in literature and the arts.