Svět literatury

Svět literatury (English: World of Literature) is a peer-reviewed, bi-annual scholarly journal devoted to the study of modern European and American literatures and literary theory. It was founded in 1991 and is published by the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague. The journal is aimed primarily at the Czech academic community while maintaining an international outreach; its articles appear in Czech with English abstracts and keywords, and since 2016 it has regularly produced international special issues with contributions in foreign languages by renowned scholars. The journal is built on an interdisciplinary comparative approach that seeks to overcome the limitations of a purely national perspective on literature. Its stated aim is to foster the integration of the study of foreign literatures in the light of modern literary thought and the problems of the contemporary world — assimilating foreign literatures through original reflection and opening the Czech cultural scene to a European and international dimension. Its content is structured into several sections: academic articles on literature and culture organized in thematic blocs, a section on "Overviews and Materials," and "Reviews" of scholarly publications in literary science. The journal also organizes interdisciplinary colloquia on various topics, the results of which are published in the "Discussion" section. Svět literatury has featured contributions from leading Czech scholars as well as major figures in world literary studies, including Carlos Fuentes (Mexico), Xavier Galmiche (France), Stephen Greenblatt (United Kingdom), Aage Hansen-Löeve (Austria), Urs Heftrich (Germany), Miguel León-Portilla (Mexico), Oleg Malevič (Russia), Graciela Maturo (Argentina), Marc Quaghebeur (Belgium), Fernando Savater (Spain), Wasilij Ščukin (Poland), and Gertraude Zand (Austria). The editor-in-chief is doc. Josef Hrdlička, and the editorial team includes Jana Kitzlerová, Mariana Machová, Daniel Soukup, Klára Soukupová, and Záviš Šuman. The editorial board consists of eminent scholars of literature from both Czech and international academic institutions. Since 2015, Svět literatury has been a fully Open Access journal, with its digital content freely available to readers via its website — a policy shared by all journals produced by the Publishing House of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. The journal carries ISSN 0862-8440 and publishes in Czech, Slovak, and English. Recent issues, such as the 2026 (XXXVI) 74 issue, run to around 160 pages and include studies, documents, and reviews spanning topics from Gnedich's Russian translation of the Iliad to dieselpunk in Anglo-American and Czech literature.

Svět literatury (World of Literature) was founded in 1991 and has since been published by the Faculty of Arts of Charles University in Prague. From its inception it has appeared twice a year, positioning itself as a peer-reviewed scholarly journal focused on modern European and American literatures and literary theory, with an interdisciplinary comparative approach that transcends the boundaries of individual national literatures. The journal was conceived for the Czech academic community while maintaining an international outreach. Its articles are published in Czech with English abstracts and keywords, and its editorial board brings together leading Czech and foreign literary scholars. Over the years its authors have included internationally renowned figures such as Carlos Fuentes, Xavier Galmiche, Stephen Greenblatt, Aage Hansen-Löeve, Urs Heftrich, Miguel León-Portilla, Oleg Malevič, Graciela Maturo, Marc Quaghebeur, Fernando Savater, Wasilij Ščukin, and Gertraude Zand. A significant development came in 2015, when Svět literatury — like all journals produced by the Publishing House of the Faculty of Arts, Charles University — moved to a fully Open Access model, making its digital content freely available to readers via its website. The following year, 2016, marked another milestone: the journal began regularly publishing international special issues with articles in foreign languages, each concentrated on a single theme and featuring contributions by many renowned international scholars. The journal's structure has remained consistent across its run: academic articles on literature and culture organized in thematic blocs, a section on "Overviews and Materials," and "Reviews" of scholarly publications in literary science. It also organizes interdisciplinary colloquia on various topics, the results of which are published in the "Discussion" section. By the 2020s the journal had reached its thirty-sixth volume, with issues such as 2026 (XXXVI) 74 running to around 160 pages and carrying ISSN 0862-8440. The editor-in-chief is doc. Josef Hrdlička, supported by an editorial team comprising Jana Kitzlerová, Mariana Machová, Daniel Soukup, Klára Soukupová, and Záviš Šuman.

• 2026

  Issue 2026 (XXXVI) 74 is published, running to around 160 pages.

• 2016

  The journal begins regularly publishing international special issues with articles in foreign languages.

• 2015

  The journal becomes fully Open Access, with digital content freely available online.

• 1991

  Svět literatury is founded and begins publication by the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague.

A peer-reviewed, Open Access Czech academic journal with an interdisciplinary comparative approach to modern European and American literatures, bridging Czech academia and the international scholarly community.

• Bi-annual journal issues

  Peer-reviewed issues published twice a year, structured into thematic article blocs, Overviews and Materials, and Reviews.

• International special issues

  Themed special issues with articles in foreign languages, published regularly since 2016.

• Discussion section

  Publication of results from interdisciplinary colloquia organized by the journal.

1. 1SVĚT LITERATURY (official website)svetliteratury.ff.cuni.cz
2. 2About the Journal | SVĚT LITERATURYsvetliteratury.ff.cuni.cz
3. 3Svět literatury (Wikidata)wikidata.org
4. 4Svět literatury (Czech Wikipedia)cs.wikipedia.org