Dickens Leonard

Dickens Leonard's educational background and research interests lie in literary studies, comparative literature, film and cultural studies, translation, and the history of anti-caste thought. He is largely interested in critical humanities, in the intersection of these disciplines, as it paves the way towards a meaningful and transformatory pedagogy for Human Sciences. Besides researching, and recently teaching in this area, his current research explores anti-caste intellectual thought and comparative cultural studies in India, foregrounding the Tamil cosmopolis particularly. His publications generally explore how anti-caste intellectuals engaged with religion and literature in the context of colonialism and print in India; and the spatial dynamics of (re)presentation in contemporary Tamil cinema and culture. He is also developing research on literature, culture, and community especially on the interrelation between comparative ethics and aesthetics.

Researchers interested in anti-caste thought or cinematic cultures from "vernacular" and "regional" (con)texts either within the Indian and/or diaspora background may send their detailed proposal to the official email id.