Lotus, the Afro-Asian Nexus, and Global South Comparatism

Abstract

As part of the endeavor to seek out nonmetropolitan forms of comparatism, this article addresses the trilingual periodical Lotus: Afro-Asian Writings that was published by the Afro-Asian Writers’ Association from the late 1960s until the early 1990s. Lotus, the article argues, instantiates an antecedent of postcolonial critique and represents a decidedly anti-Eurocentric, internationalist project that held the promise of Global South comparatism. Halim’s article discusses selected issues raised in Lotus, considers the curtailment of its potential by the Cold War, and reflects on the implications of revisiting the journal in relation to contemporary geopolitical realities.