Leila Essa
@leilaessai.bsky.social
assistant professor of comparative literature at utrecht uni. projects on post-partition lit & authorial politics. current research and writing at https://intervention.sites.uu.nl/. she/her.
Pinned
Leila Essa
@leilaessai.bsky.social
· Jul 10
For now
The book that I mentioned in my last post is taking shape: Marta Cenedese and I have just signed a contract with Bloomsbury Academic for our edited volume Activist Writing / Activist Reading. We are v...
intervention.sites.uu.nl
a quick research blog update with lovely book news and much gratitude for anna bernard's solidarity talk at utrecht last month and for the "for now" conference organisers in berlin last week
intervention.sites.uu.nl/2025/07/10/f...
intervention.sites.uu.nl/2025/07/10/f...
Not a particularly original observation but Liadan Ní Chuinn is the real deal huh
November 29, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Not a particularly original observation but Liadan Ní Chuinn is the real deal huh
Reposted by Leila Essa
Mickey Mouse was a tout
November 28, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Mickey Mouse was a tout
This is the first time in forever that I have slept through from ten to seven???? All it takes is a wonderful evening with friends and a sacrificial turkey and my insomnia is healed!!
November 28, 2025 at 6:08 AM
This is the first time in forever that I have slept through from ten to seven???? All it takes is a wonderful evening with friends and a sacrificial turkey and my insomnia is healed!!
Reposted by Leila Essa
I wrote an essay for @bostonreview.bsky.social about what I learned about close reading when I taught at West Virginia University
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
The Claims of Close Reading - Boston Review
Literary studies have been starved by austerity, but their core methodology remains radical.
www.bostonreview.net
November 26, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I wrote an essay for @bostonreview.bsky.social about what I learned about close reading when I taught at West Virginia University
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
www.bostonreview.net/articles/the...
Reposted by Leila Essa
Feeling honored and grateful to receive the Best Article Prize this year! 💙 Huge thanks to the wonderful editorial team from Environmental Humanities journal for their support in publishing this work.
Feeling so motivated to dive even deeper into many waters of the Blue Humanities! 🌊✨
#envhum
Feeling so motivated to dive even deeper into many waters of the Blue Humanities! 🌊✨
#envhum
We start with announcement of Environmental Humanities 2025 Best Article Prize which goes to (drumroll):
@susanneferwerda.bsky.social for "Blue Humanities and the Color of Colonialism" read.dukeupress.edu/environmenta...
Read the citation for the award:
read.dukeupress.edu/environmenta...
@susanneferwerda.bsky.social for "Blue Humanities and the Color of Colonialism" read.dukeupress.edu/environmenta...
Read the citation for the award:
read.dukeupress.edu/environmenta...
November 26, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Feeling honored and grateful to receive the Best Article Prize this year! 💙 Huge thanks to the wonderful editorial team from Environmental Humanities journal for their support in publishing this work.
Feeling so motivated to dive even deeper into many waters of the Blue Humanities! 🌊✨
#envhum
Feeling so motivated to dive even deeper into many waters of the Blue Humanities! 🌊✨
#envhum
Sad that I couldn’t go to see Achille Mbembe talk at Utrecht University last night, but delighted to hear that his answer to a question about his 2020 ”excommunication“ from Germany was to just laugh
November 26, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Sad that I couldn’t go to see Achille Mbembe talk at Utrecht University last night, but delighted to hear that his answer to a question about his 2020 ”excommunication“ from Germany was to just laugh
Reposted by Leila Essa
In a bumper week for publications, I am also delighted to have my chapter "Familial Trauma and Queer Sexual Catharsis in Neel Mukherjee’s A Life Apart" published in the collection Queer Trauma Across Borders, edited by Anchit Sathi.
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
Familial Trauma and Queer Sexual Catharsis in Neel Mukherjee’s A Life Apart
In Neel Mukherjee’s 2008 novel A Life Apart (originally published as Past Continuous), the abject and the traumatic become interwoven motifs in its depiction of a young gay man’s emigratio...
link.springer.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:21 AM
In a bumper week for publications, I am also delighted to have my chapter "Familial Trauma and Queer Sexual Catharsis in Neel Mukherjee’s A Life Apart" published in the collection Queer Trauma Across Borders, edited by Anchit Sathi.
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1...
Reposted by Leila Essa
On 29 Nov, I’ll be interviewing the Palestinian-Syrian poet Ghayath Almadhoun & his Dutch translator Djûke Poppinga.
Every day is a day of international solidarity with the Palestinian people.
@actionbooks.bsky.social
@uitgjurgenmaas.bsky.social
www.wintertuinfestival.nl/en/blog/prog...
Every day is a day of international solidarity with the Palestinian people.
@actionbooks.bsky.social
@uitgjurgenmaas.bsky.social
www.wintertuinfestival.nl/en/blog/prog...
Ghayath Almadhoun - Wintertuinfestival
www.wintertuinfestival.nl
November 26, 2025 at 7:40 AM
On 29 Nov, I’ll be interviewing the Palestinian-Syrian poet Ghayath Almadhoun & his Dutch translator Djûke Poppinga.
Every day is a day of international solidarity with the Palestinian people.
@actionbooks.bsky.social
@uitgjurgenmaas.bsky.social
www.wintertuinfestival.nl/en/blog/prog...
Every day is a day of international solidarity with the Palestinian people.
@actionbooks.bsky.social
@uitgjurgenmaas.bsky.social
www.wintertuinfestival.nl/en/blog/prog...
lecture slides for tomorrow will mainly consist of photos I’ve taken at the Etel Adnan exhibition in Düsseldorf
November 25, 2025 at 6:40 PM
lecture slides for tomorrow will mainly consist of photos I’ve taken at the Etel Adnan exhibition in Düsseldorf
Reposted by Leila Essa
Exciting news ~ TL/TH in book
form, from Peninsula Press in 2026✨
Too Little/Too Hard (edited by Lucy Mercer and Livia Franchini), a collection of essays from some of the most exciting contemporary writers about literature, work, time, and value (shipping May)
peninsulapress.co.uk/products/202...
form, from Peninsula Press in 2026✨
Too Little/Too Hard (edited by Lucy Mercer and Livia Franchini), a collection of essays from some of the most exciting contemporary writers about literature, work, time, and value (shipping May)
peninsulapress.co.uk/products/202...
2026 subscription
We are pleased to announce our 2026 subscription: a selection of five books publishing next year, each delivered at least one month ahead of publication, all for a special price of £55 (saving £12 on ...
peninsulapress.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Exciting news ~ TL/TH in book
form, from Peninsula Press in 2026✨
Too Little/Too Hard (edited by Lucy Mercer and Livia Franchini), a collection of essays from some of the most exciting contemporary writers about literature, work, time, and value (shipping May)
peninsulapress.co.uk/products/202...
form, from Peninsula Press in 2026✨
Too Little/Too Hard (edited by Lucy Mercer and Livia Franchini), a collection of essays from some of the most exciting contemporary writers about literature, work, time, and value (shipping May)
peninsulapress.co.uk/products/202...
through week 2 of this now, in which we looked at short stories of displacement in the contexts of Partition, the Nakba, the Holocaust, and the Black diaspora and the students gave such insightful close and comparative readings
prepping my first lecture for the Migration and Diaspora course next week and honestly cannot wait to teach my new syllabus
November 21, 2025 at 1:45 PM
through week 2 of this now, in which we looked at short stories of displacement in the contexts of Partition, the Nakba, the Holocaust, and the Black diaspora and the students gave such insightful close and comparative readings
Reposted by Leila Essa
I make jokes about how often Sarkozy publishes memoirs, but here he is publishing his "prison memoir" (after serving only 20 days of a five year sentence)
November 21, 2025 at 12:53 PM
I make jokes about how often Sarkozy publishes memoirs, but here he is publishing his "prison memoir" (after serving only 20 days of a five year sentence)
I got Asako Yuzuki’s Butter in the hope for fun murder mystery and food but it’s gone from supposedly critical but intensely detailed depictions of diet culture and tradwifery to therapy speak 🥲
November 20, 2025 at 7:53 PM
I got Asako Yuzuki’s Butter in the hope for fun murder mystery and food but it’s gone from supposedly critical but intensely detailed depictions of diet culture and tradwifery to therapy speak 🥲
Reposted by Leila Essa
Dont wanna jinx it but wanted to note especially with so much doom in academe, but my teaching has been so incredibly fulfilling and excellent this year; these kids really are all right.
November 20, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Dont wanna jinx it but wanted to note especially with so much doom in academe, but my teaching has been so incredibly fulfilling and excellent this year; these kids really are all right.
Arthur Russell forever m.youtube.com/watch?v=btXK...
Habit Of You
YouTube video by Arthur Russell - Topic
m.youtube.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Arthur Russell forever m.youtube.com/watch?v=btXK...
Honestly v lucky, this. The city recently renovated one of my least favourite crossroads, seemingly around the principle “now bikes have all the rights and cars have none :)“, and it’s great
Goedeavond from Utrecht, who today @eiturbanmobility.eu named the most bicycle-friendly city in the world:
“What sets Utrecht apart is that it has understood something paramount long before most others, that the goal is no longer to make space for cycling, but to construct the city around cycling.”
“What sets Utrecht apart is that it has understood something paramount long before most others, that the goal is no longer to make space for cycling, but to construct the city around cycling.”
November 19, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Honestly v lucky, this. The city recently renovated one of my least favourite crossroads, seemingly around the principle “now bikes have all the rights and cars have none :)“, and it’s great
Solidarity with all striking colleagues in the UK
Lots of university strikes happening at the moment (from the UCU union) over the funding crisis and cuts in the sector. Via StrikeMap:
November 17, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Solidarity with all striking colleagues in the UK
always odd to recognise other swimmers in the bike parking lot. feels wrong to see them fully dressed
November 16, 2025 at 11:27 AM
always odd to recognise other swimmers in the bike parking lot. feels wrong to see them fully dressed
Reposted by Leila Essa
On Tues, Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah attempted to fly to London to attend two conferences. He was stopped by authorities and told he could not travel.
It's been almost 2 months since Alaa was pardoned. It's time for him to be allowed to travel too www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
It's been almost 2 months since Alaa was pardoned. It's time for him to be allowed to travel too www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
British-Egyptian activist stopped from flying to UK, says family
Egyptian authorities prevented Alaa Abd el-Fattah from attending human rights awards in London
www.theguardian.com
November 14, 2025 at 2:56 PM
On Tues, Egyptian-British activist Alaa Abdel Fattah attempted to fly to London to attend two conferences. He was stopped by authorities and told he could not travel.
It's been almost 2 months since Alaa was pardoned. It's time for him to be allowed to travel too www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
It's been almost 2 months since Alaa was pardoned. It's time for him to be allowed to travel too www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Four hours of seminar teaching on four hours of sleep (insomnia, baby) made energising by engaged students, we give thanks
November 14, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Four hours of seminar teaching on four hours of sleep (insomnia, baby) made energising by engaged students, we give thanks
Gorki theatre cancelling premiere of Adania Shibli’s Minor Detail due to “dynamics and differences within the cast and artistic production team”, why is Germany so embarrassing
November 13, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Gorki theatre cancelling premiere of Adania Shibli’s Minor Detail due to “dynamics and differences within the cast and artistic production team”, why is Germany so embarrassing
1st session of the Publishing course for our MA today. Have been starting it with Percival Everett’s Erasure for the past three years and it’s always a winner. V glad I decided against replacing it with R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface
November 13, 2025 at 11:44 AM
1st session of the Publishing course for our MA today. Have been starting it with Percival Everett’s Erasure for the past three years and it’s always a winner. V glad I decided against replacing it with R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface
Reposted by Leila Essa
Publication day! How writers respond to authoritarians www.routledge.com/Literature-a...
Literature and Epistemic Injustice: Power and Resistance in the Contemporary Novel
A vital resource for anyone interested in literature and politics, this is the first in-depth study of epistemic injustice as a concept for literary studies. Focusing on contemporary fiction in an age...
www.routledge.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Publication day! How writers respond to authoritarians www.routledge.com/Literature-a...
Reposted by Leila Essa
"the heist film offers audiences a spectacle of highly choreographed expertise. From Rififi to Sneakers to Soderbergh canon (Out of Sight Logan Lucky Oceans 11–13), the genre has generated some of cinema’s most powerful allegories of collective action"
homework: read.dukeupress.edu/south-atlant...
homework: read.dukeupress.edu/south-atlant...
November 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
"the heist film offers audiences a spectacle of highly choreographed expertise. From Rififi to Sneakers to Soderbergh canon (Out of Sight Logan Lucky Oceans 11–13), the genre has generated some of cinema’s most powerful allegories of collective action"
homework: read.dukeupress.edu/south-atlant...
homework: read.dukeupress.edu/south-atlant...
after the music festival is before the mini poetry festival
If you’re around Utrecht on 11 November, Biswamit Dwibedy will be in town!
November 10, 2025 at 7:33 AM
after the music festival is before the mini poetry festival