The Department of English and Comparative Literature

Columbia's Department of English and Comparative Literature has played a significant role in the history of literary study in the United States and abroad since its inception. With a large faculty of renowned scholars and dedicated teachers, our department offers a wide range of courses, recognizing traditional values in the discipline yet reflecting its changing shape.

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Upcoming Events

Nov 16 Mon

Futures of Ethnic Studies

Columbia University Deutsches Haus, 420 West 116th Street

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

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Dec 11 Fri

Nature, Race, and Indigeneity in the US

Fayerweather Hall (Room 513), Columbia University, 1180 Amsterdam Avenue, New York

9:15 AM - 3:40 PM

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Recent Headlines

November 12, 2026

Columbia University Press announces the winner of the 2026 Jennifer Crewe Distinguished Book Award

Columbia University Press, in conjunction with the Office of the Provost, is pleased to announce that Love, Money, Duty: Stories of Care in Our Times by Rachel Adams is the winner of the 2026 Jennifer Crewe Distinguished Book Award.

May 05, 2026

Farah Jasmine Griffin Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The Department of English and Comparative Literature warmly congratulates Farah Jasmine Griffin, University Professor, on being elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

March 30, 2026

Benjamin VanWagoner (GSAS '18) Wins RSA First Book Prize, 2026

The Department warmly congratulates Benjamin VanWagoner (GSAS '18), whose book Imperial Ventures: Maritime Drama and the Invention of Risk (Penn, 2025) has been awarded the Renaissance Society of America's inaugural First Book Prize.

The RSA's citation for Imperial Ventures notes:

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