Christian Ylagan, Editor-in-Chief

Christian is a fourth year PhD student of Comparative Literature at Western, where he is trying to make sense of how postcolonialism influences the development of queer identities in Philippine literature. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy from Ateneo de Manila University, and his MA in Comparative Literature from the University of Alberta. He is an erstwhile high school teacher, a tattoo enthusiast, perpetually hungry foodie, bashful poet, frustrated yogi, closet lover of boy band music, and human companion to the wild but wonderful Georgia.

Anda Pleniceanu, Deputy Editor

I am a second year PhD student in Comparative Literature. My primary research focuses on theories of subjectivity, deconstruction, and the aesthetics of self-effacement in French modernity (especially in Marcel Proust). Secondary interests include corporeality, Greek tragedy, and queer temporality. My Master’s thesis engaged with pain theory in Greek tragedy, critiquing the Aristotelian categorial framework and Cartesian dualism as analgesic conceptual systems of suppression. I do research in French, Ancient Greek, Latin, Romanian, and English.

Eser Ari, Copy Editor

I’m a third year PhD student in Comparative Literature. After an expeditious career in teaching, I decided to pursue a degree in Comparative Literature with a focus on colonialism and post-colonialism in English, Russian and Circassian. But then I changed my mind. My research interests were British and Russian imperial literature, diaspora and migration studies, trauma theory and collective memory. That changed also. I enjoyed working on the modernist movement in Turkey in connection with mainstream modernism in political, social and historical fiction.

Diana Johnston, Reviews Editor

Diana is a third year PhD student at Western University in the Comparative Literature program. Her main research interests lie in the study of concepts of humanity and animality in contemporary Italian and French literature. She obtained her MA in Italian Studies from the University of Auckland, and she speaks four languages. In her spare time she also teaches classical piano and spends as much time as possible outdoors with her faithful fluffy companion, Titan.

David Mongor-Lizarrabengoa, Conference Editor

David is a PhD student in Comparative Literature at Western University. He holds Master’s degrees in English, Spanish, and film studies. His research interests include 20th and 21st century Latin American literature & film, Basque literature, theories of adaptation, trauma studies, and horror films. Currently, he is also working on a collection of poetry.