The term New English Literatures commonly refers to anglophone writing from Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Oceania and Canada, as well as the constantly increasing number of texts written in English by authors from regions in which English is not an official or main language. Literatures from regions of the historical British Empire are scrutinized from the perspectives of postcolonial studies and decolonial inquiry as means of engaging critically with the histories and ongoing legacies of empire.

The field overlaps with both English and North American literatures, for instance in relation to colonial writing or texts dealing with the legacies of enslavement, as well as in the analysis of contemporary literary productions beyond national or regional frameworks. Central issues include negotiations of colonization and decolonization, migration, diaspora, globalization and cultural diversity. While paying close attention to textual aesthetics, we also examine broader social dynamics and debates, mainly through a critical diversity studies framework.

The Professorship of New English Literatures and Cultural Studies foregrounds cultural theory and postcolonial studies; Caribbean, West African, Southern African, Indian and Canadian literatures in English; theories, policies and representations of cultural diversity in comparative perspective; as well as popular culture analysis. Beyond the focus on literary analysis, further forms and genres of cultural production, especially film and popular media such as TV, comics and music as well as social media cultures feature prominently in our research and teaching. Current areas of research include Anglophone World Literatures, Postcolonial and Global Popular Cultures, Digital Humanities and Critical Diversity Studies.