Position Details

The History of Black Writing ( HBW) is an active research center focused on fostering innovative scholarship in American literature, book history, and digital humanities. Situated in the College of Arts and Sciences in the English Department of Indiana University – Bloomington (IU), HBW endeavors to build a collaborative intellectual community to engage in dialogue about the recovery and preservation of literary texts, public humanities, and the future of archives. With funding from the Mellon Foundation, HBW will redesign and expand the Black Literature Network website’s archives portal (https://www.blacklitnetwork.org/archives).

HBW seeks candidates for a Postdoctoral Fellow position. Working with Susan D. Gubar Chair, Associate Professor of English, and HBW Director Ayesha Hardison, the two-year fellowship invites a postdoctoral scholar to join an interdisciplinary team to highlight Black archival collections across the country.

• Ph.D. in African American studies, American literature, public humanities, archival studies, library and information science, museum studies, public history, or a related field (degree must be conferred by start date)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders • Strong organizational and project management skills
• Familiarity with archival description standards, finding aids, and/or digital collection platforms

Please contact the IU English staff at email engadmin@iu.edu with any questions regarding the application process.

• Experience working with or in libraries, archives, special collections, or cultural heritage organizations
• Demonstrated interest in African American literary or cultural history
• Experience with community-engaged research or public-facing scholarship
• Familiarity with metadata standards, digital humanities tools, and/or archival databases

Applications should include:
1. a cover letter describing the applicant’s interest in the History of Black Writing and experience with collaborative archival and public humanities work;
2. a curriculum vitae;
3. a 2–3 page statement outlining the applicant’s research interests and professional development goals
4. one writing sample (15-25 pages);
5. the names of 2–3 referees.