Welcome to the next issue of SHARP in the Classroom! I am delighted to be joining the SHARP News team as the new editor of this section. In this introductory note, I would like to share a little about my work and outline some of the directions I hope to pursue in future issues of SHARP in the Classroom.
I am a PhD Candidate in English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and my dissertation examines the intersection of book history and the history of education in India from the nineteenth century to the present. One of my chapters, for example, reads Krupabai Sathhianadhan’s autobiography Saguna (1894), as a record of child reading, while another is based on The Hindusthanee Student, an early 20th-century periodicals published by Indian students in the USA. Additionally, I work on contemporary reading cultures: my recent research was about the reception of R.F. Kuang’s Babel within online Dark Academia communities and the role of algorithmic recommendation systems in shaping reading practices. I am currently researching the impact of digital piracy on student reading practices in India, examining how shadow libraries function as workaround educational infrastructures for readers with limited access to academic books. I have also written about the use of zines in the classroom, exploring how they can introduce students to histories of independent publishing and queer means of cultural production.
My interest in pedagogy comes from both research and teaching. Having studied and taught in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States, I have become invested in the different ways book history enters the classroom across national and institutional contexts. At the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, I teach undergraduate courses in World Literature, Introduction to English Studies, First-Year Composition, Queer Digital Cultures, and Introduction to LGBTQ+ Studies. Across these courses, I found it helpful to design pedagogy about literature and (other) media in relation to the material and institutional conditions that shape reception. In the World Literature course, for example, students researched the digital afterlives of contemporary Indian novels and created public-facing Wikipedia articles on texts such as Meena Kandasamy’s When I Hit You and Amrita Mahale’s Milk Teeth to promote globally underrepresented literature online. More broadly, I enjoy pedagogical methods that use archives, periodicals, publishing histories, and digital platforms to help understand how texts circulate and acquire cultural value. Before joining SHARP, I spent two years as an Assistant Editor for Studies in History, contributing to the editorial and production processes of the journal.
For me, SHARP in the Classroom is a valuable community resource because it creates a space for ongoing conversations about how book history is taught across different settings. We welcome submissions across different formats throughout the year:
Pedagogical Tools
- This section focuses on teaching materials that can be adapted for use in a range of educational settings. This includes syllabi, assignments, lesson plans, workshop activities, and other classroom resources. Contributions should include a short introduction explaining the context in which the material was developed and used. (Approximately 200 words for the introduction).
Reflections on Pedagogy
- This section provides a space for short essays on teaching practice, course design, and broader questions related to book history pedagogy. We welcome reflections on successes, challenges, experiments, and different approaches. (1000–2000 words.)
Student Voices
- We are also eager to publish work by students or reflections on classroom experiences from a student perspective. (1000–2000 words.)
Alongside our regular open call, I will introduce occasional themed issues focused on particular topics in book history pedagogy. I will be reaching out for suggestions soon, and would love to hear from readers about themes or formats you would like to see featured in future issues.
I look forward to continuing the exchange of ideas that has made SHARP in the Classroom such a helpful resource for the SHARP community. If you have an idea for a submission, a question about one of the categories, or want to discuss a potential contribution, please feel free to reach out. I would be happy to chat about developing ideas for SHARP in the Classroom. You can contact me at sharpclassroom@sharpweb.org.