Attributed Identity and Literary Interpretation: Diaspora Narratives, Paratext, and the Construction of Meaning
Deadline for Manuscript Submissions: June 30, 2026
Special Issue Editors
Dr. Alexej Mikulášek Website E-Mail: alexej.mikulasek@seznam.cz
Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Slovakia
Interests: Central European literature; Czech culture/language; Czech literature; Slovak literature
Special Issue Information
The study of Jewish literature encompasses a wide range of themes, including diasporic narratives, cultural identity, and the interplay between autoimages and heteroimages in literary works. This Special Issue, titled “Diaspora Literature and Migration Stories,” explores how perceptions of an author’s background—whether accurate or misattributed—shape interpretations of their work. Key areas of focus include the impact of presumed identity on literary criticism, the role of paratext in shaping reader and scholarly perspectives, and the dynamics of cross-cultural representation in national and transnational literatures.
Central to this discussion is comparative imagology, which examines stereotypes, myths, and clichés in depictions of the „self“ and the „other“ within texts. The issue also engages with critical discourse analysis to investigate how language and intertextuality influence the reception of literary works. By addressing misinterpretations—whether arising from cultural assumptions or editorial framing—this collection aims to deepen understanding of how authorial identity is constructed and contested in literary studies.
We welcome contributions that analyze these themes across diverse contexts, including American diasporic writing, Israeli literature, and other migratory narratives. The issue invites methodological reflections on how misreadings of an author’s origins or affiliations affect textual interpretation in academia, education, and public discourse.
Keywords
Jewish identity
literary interpretation
misreading
autoimage
heteroimage
paratext
diaspora literature
comparative imagology
critical discourse analysis