Special Issue on Life Writing

The articles brought together in this special issue of Ravenshaw Journal of Literature and Culture on Life Writing are examples of social, therapeutic, and emotional life writing which can be described as ‘healing literature.’ All the contributions in this volume, whether they treat historical life writing or contemporary experiences, offer readers elements of events lived mainly in India, but also in the USA and Europe. The contributions published here are made by researchers from all over the world and propose analyses of narratives that are varied in thematic approach, from pain and illness narratives to narrations of lived religion (Dalit, Buddhism, Bhakti spirituality, Hinduism, Christianity), and in theoretical underpinnings (Foucault, Gilmore, Merleau-Ponty) and genres (journalism, autobiography/autofiction, poetry). The variety of themes, backgrounds, contexts and analytical approaches to texts from India, the USA, Europe and beyond allow both the experienced researcher to conduct in-depth readings and the neophyte a window into the exciting and ever-evolving field of life writing