Oliver Knabe - oliverknabe@hotmail.com
Born in Berlin, I began my studies at the Free University in 2005. Since teaching was my initial career aspiration, educational science was just as much part of my regular schedule as courses in German and English Philology. In a short period of time, however, my interest in Literary Studies was more and more awakened, which soon led to a shift in my focus of study. While I do not favor a specific literary period (yet), I have developed a serious curiosity in the sociology of literature. After receiving my B.A. degree in 2008 - my thesis being on the social change in Fontane’s novels - I decided to put my emphasis exclusively on German literature for the moment. Right now, I am collecting my last remaining credits for the MA before I will pack my bags and head off to Nashville. After two years of ‘separation’ from pedagogy, I am now looking forward to starting as a TA.
During the winter semester of 2009/2010, I was offered the chance to have a slightly different look at literature. Together with five fellow graduate students, I was sent to India by the DAAD. In cooperation with the University of Delhi, we worked on a German translation of the Indian novel आधा गांव (Adha Gaon), which had already been published in English under the title ‘A Village divided’. Altogether, we worked with our Indian partners for six months. Currently, the German translation is being edited by Indian and German professors. Not only me but the entire translation team is excited - we can hardly wait for the intended publication in 2011.
