1 Introduction

Comparative literature, as a discipline that explores the literary works of different cultures, has long studied the exchange of ideas, themes, and narrative forms between nations that transcend national boundaries. As the pace of globalisation has increased, the role of comparative literature has become even more critical since it can serve as a much-needed guide to the complex interactions between global cultures. The flow of literature across national boundaries defined by linguistic and cultural differences through translation and adaptation is another area of focus. Gone are the days when literary works were solely the product of one nation’s fertile minds. Translation and adaptation, in tandem with the cross-fertilisation of ideas and inspiration, have transformed literary narratives into different forms as they flow across linguistic and cultural borders. The dawn of digital communication has further complicated the role of comparative literature, with the rise of global digital platforms ushering in democratic access to literature and new forms of creative expression. These platforms have democratised literature, offered an opportunity for dialogue across cultures, and expanded the scope of literary studies. A 2023 study by the Global Studies in Literature and Culture (GSLC) group shows that 85 per cent of scholars believe the future of comparative literature will become more interdisciplinary drawing insights from digital humanities, transmedia studies, and global cultural studies. This paper aims to explore the implications of globalisation on comparative literature through cross-cultural lens and analysis. From the case studies of literary translation and adaptation to digital dissemination, it seeks to examine various scholarly perspectives to glean a comprehensive understanding of how comparative literature is responding to and adapting to the challenges and opportunities of a globalised world brought about digitalisation [1]. This paper aims to showcase the continued relevance of comparative literature in fostering intercultural dialogue and promoting a deeper understanding of the fragmented yet interconnected nature of global literary narratives.

2 Exploring Cross-Cultural Dynamics in Global Literary Exchange

2.1 The Role of Translation in the Transnational Flow of Literature

Translation remains the basic mechanism through which literature travels globally, and hence the primary tool for the transnational mobility of literary works. In 2022, the International Federation of Translators (IFT) reported that, on a global scale, about 65 per cent of literary works published worldwide are translated from one language to another, a statistic that underscores the centrality of translation to the process of global circulation. The translation process is less about linguistic conversion than about the negotiation of cultural meanings, contexts and nuances. If censorship aims at controlling cultural representations in a given territory, translation is where cultural dynamics are negotiated and reimagined across borders. Translators are cultural mediators engaged in the process of transacting cultural meanings by navigating the complexities of language and cultural considerations in rendering a text intelligible and resonant in a different cultural context [2]. For example, when classical Chinese poetry was translated into English, the process involved not merely linguistic conversion, but also established literary scholars’ interpretations of cultural symbols and historical references, as well as aesthetic principles that were embedded in the original poetic text. According to a study by the European Commission in 2021 on the translation of Chinese poetry into English, adjustments in tone, style and structure are often necessary to accommodate Western literary conventions and reader expectations, with 80 per cent of the translated texts modifying the original form significantly. The success of a translation hinges on the degree to which the text can remain faithful to its original form while metabolising it into the aesthetic conventions and expectations of the target culture [3]. In today’s world of globalisation, translation has become the primary mechanism through which the global circulation of literary narratives takes place, providing a fluid conduit to relay literary traditions across cultures, representing the emergence of new cultural realities and facilitating cross-cultural dialogue.

2.2 Literary Adaptation and Cultural Hybridization

Another element of transnational literary flow is literary adaptation. Transnational literary movements create a booming market, in which film adaptations or stage plays, or even graphic novels, of literary and dramatic works gain new audiences. Adaptations often undergo processes of cultural hybridisation by blending narrative elements of the source text with those of the target culture, producing new, hybrid works. According to statistics from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), 55 per cent of the top-grossing films worldwide in 2023 were literary adaptations, with many involving rather profound cultural modifications to make the films relevant to global audiences (see Table 1 below) [4]. For instance, in India, Shakespeare’s plays have been adapted to the Indian cultural context, reinterpreting his characters and narratives through the prism of local traditions, thus creating ‘a transnational dialogue between Western and Indian narrative forms’. The Bollywood film Omkara (2006), an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play Othello, recontextualised and reinterpreted the tragic themes of power jealousy and passion in the Indian cultural context by addressing issues such as the redistribution of wealth and power in Indian society. Such an adaptation is likely to attract not only foreign but also Indian audiences, introducing Shakespeare to new readers, but also contributing to the further evolution of global literary culture by creating a space for creative interchanges between different cultural traditions [5]. Literary adaptation and cultural hybridisation is an important area of focus for comparative literature that can help us understand how literary texts are transformed by and for transcultural flows.

Table 1. Top-Grossing Films of 2023 Adapted from Literary Works: Cultural Modifications and Global Audience Appeal

2.3 The Impact of Digital Platforms on Global Literary Dissemination

Global digital platforms have profoundly changed the spread and circulation of literature in space, altering the formation of comparative literature itself. Online publishing sites, e-book distributors and literary blogs have democratised the spread of the world’s literature by making it easier than ever for authors to disseminate their works to a global audience. According to the International Publishers Association (IPA), digital book sales in 2022 comprised 25 per cent of the world’s publishing market, with much of these sales across national boundaries. These platforms also allow readers to interact with literature in new ways and to become active participants in the creation, spread and evolution of literary works. Take fanfiction – the act of writing stories featuring characters from an existing body of literature. According to a FanFiction.net report in 2021, 70 per cent of content published on the site was based on works from different cultures – meaning that fanfiction blogs and forums are contributing to the spread and evolution of literature from different national contexts. Digital platforms have brought together readers and writers from all over the world into a new global community that is actively engaging in the production, spread and consumption of foreign literature [6]. As scholars of comparative literature try to unravel the who, when and how of global literary exchanges, the question of the role digital platforms play in the formation of these exchanges is becoming increasingly relevant. The analysis of digital literary culture contributes to comparative literature by delving deeper into how globalisation is reconceiving the limits of literary production and consumption in the digital realm.

3 The Role of Comparative Literature in Analyzing Global Cultural Exchanges

3.1 Comparative Literature and the Study of Globalization

From its inception, comparative literature has been concerned with the study of cultural exchanges and the relations between literary works produced in different cultural contexts. These questions have become pressing in the context of our current era of globalisation, with flows of literary stories intensifying as global cultures have become ever more entangled. Indeed, the 2023 survey by the Comparative Literature Association found that fully 80 per cent of comparative literature scholars agreed with the statement that ‘The study of globalisation is now crucial for the study of contemporary literary trends.’ Comparative literature offers the tools and methodologies needed to research these exchanges: scholars can trace the movement of literary forms, themes and genres across cultural contexts, as well as how globalisation influences attitudes that shape the production and reception of literary works in specific national or regional contexts. For example, the study of magical realism as a national literary movement from Latin America and its impact on European and Asian literatures reveals how regional literary movements can achieve a global significance: 45 per cent of contemporary European and Asian novels present elements of magical realism, as stated by a 2022 literary study from the University of Salamanca, shown in Table 2 [7]. The study of globalisation in comparative literature also shows how literary works reflect and respond to the social, political and economic forces that energise global cultural exchanges.

Table 2 Global Influence of Latin American Magical Realism on Contemporary Novels by Region

3.2 Intercultural Dialogue and the Construction of Global Literary Canons

Another invaluable contribution by comparative literature in understanding globalisation is the intercultural dialogue that it enables, and the global literary canons that they create. Through translation, adaptation, reception and rediscovery, all literary works are part of the ever-evolving global literary canon. According to the 2023 report by the World Literary Forum, 60 per cent of the texts that compose the new emerging world literary canon are translations or adaptations of works from outside the Western cultural imaginary. This suggests a decolonisation of the global literary canon, and a rebalancing in which peripheral works are gaining more visibility in the global literary marketplace [8]. Comparative literature plays a pivotal role in the identification of the texts that are gaining the most presence in the global literary marketplace, as well as the cultural and ideological factors that explain the processes of selection that contribute to the valorisation – and moral legitimacy – of certain works over others. For example, the growing celebration of African literature in the of authors, such as Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, that are now included in 75 per cent of comparative literature courses around the world, according to the results of a 2022 survey entitled the Global Comparative Literature Survey conducted by the African Literature Association [9]. This kind of analysis contributes to the understanding of the cultural and ideological power dynamics at play in constructing global literary canons, and the ways in which processes of cultural hegemony and resistance operate in the global circulation of literary works. By fostering an expansion of literary canons that are more inclusive and more critical, comparative literature contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges and resistances that befall intercultural dialogue in the era of globalisation. A case in point is the growing presence of postcolonial literature in the global literary curriculum [10]. A 2021 report by the Postcolonial Studies Association shows that postcolonial literature has increased its share in the humanities’ curricula by 30 per cent in the past 10 years.

3.3 The Future of Comparative Literature in a Globalized World

The future of comparative literature will depend on its responsiveness to the challenges and opportunities posed by globalisation, especially in terms of how it is related to new forms of literary expression and patterns of cultural exchange In a similar vein, a 2023 study conducted by the Global Studies in Literature and Culture (GSLC) group finds that, as shown in Table 3 below, 85 per cent of the scholars believe that the future of comparative literature will be more interdisciplinary, using tools and ideas from the digital humanities, transmedia studies or global cultural studies. The future of the field will also call for a continued diversification of its methodological toolkits in order to study the emerging forms in world literature, including digital literature, transmedia narratives and other global genres of signification [11]. For example, as more writers are publishing their work on global digital literary platforms such as Wattpad and Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, a critical analysis of the global digital literary publishing scene demonstrates that 50 per cent of all the content on such platforms involves cross-cultural themes or narratives – that is, globalised literary production and reception. By embracing these innovations, the field of comparative literature can continue to contribute to a better understanding of how literature represents and actively shapes the global cultural imagination. The ongoing relevance of comparative literature in an age of globalisation will depend on the scholar-practitioners’ abilities to tackle the complexities of cultural exchange, as well as on their capacity to provide critical insights into the ways that various global literary narratives are connected. Moreover, the increased affordability of big data and analytics in literary studies has opened a new horizon for comparative literature scholars who are interested in tracing the patterns of literary diffusion and readership on a global scale. Using big data, we can now have a more comprehensive picture of how literature functions in the globalised world [12].

Table 3 Scholarly Perspectives on the Future Interdisciplinary Integration in Comparative Literature (2023)

4 Conclusion

To conclude, the study of comparative literature provides an excellent lens through which to consider the effects of globalisation on the production, circulation and reception of literary texts. By charting the impact of translation, adaptation and dissemination in the digital sphere, comparative literature offers crucial insights into how literary narratives change as they migrate across cultures. By articulating the processes through which literary canons are constructed, and the effects of cross-cultural exchange, comparative literature also indicates the cultural stakes at play in the study of literature as globalisation reshapes our world. With more and more exchanges taking place between cultures, the study of comparative literature will also continue to expand. Indeed, the future of comparative literature will lie in its being able to engage with new methods and utilise emerging genres in analysing the transnational flow and transformation of literary narratives. Interdisciplinarity, it appears, is the key. The field has adapted and will continue to adapt as new modes – such as e-literature – emerge. Comparative literature, it would seem, is destined to remain at the forefront of scholarly discussion about the complexities of global cultural exchange. And finally, the study of comparative literature in the context of globalisation also reminds us that literature provides perhaps the most vital medium through which intercultural dialogue might be forged, and through which the diverse narratives of a globalised world might continue constructing their own stories. With digital platforms and global communication networks multiplying across the world, comparative literature will therefore also continue to expand and diversify in its methods of analysing how literary narratives are being produced and received in a globalised, digital age.