Research candidate

Joy Chalaby

Research topic

The Dostoevskian century: Six case studies in Anglophone literature, art, and religious thought

My thesis aims to examine the effect of Dostoevsky’s presence in English-language literary and artistic culture and religious thought through the mid-twentieth century. This research addresses anew the Anglophone connections with Dostoevsky, with a focus on authors and artists who embody the “Dostoevskian” spirit and demonstrate a deep, often turbulent relationship with religious faith. It considers how their narratives are drawn towards extremity, and how the spiritual wasteland of a century and a generation's loss of faith shape the theological resonances of their literary and artistic vision. This study asks what impact Dostoevsky has had on what might be called the “modern religious novel” and seeks to understand his role in reshaping the literary form towards the sacred and theological. 

Supervisory team

Principal supervisor: Professor Peter Holbrook
Co-supervisor: Professor Paul Giles