Dr. Effie Rentzou

Biography

Effie Rentzou studies the relationship between literature and the arts, focusing particularly on historical avant-garde movements and modernism. Her research interests encompass poetics, the relationship between image and text, and the social and political dimensions of literature. She earned her BA in Classics from the University of Athens, followed by a master's degree in French Literature from the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne and a PhD in 2002. She was a Ted and Elaine Athanassiades Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Hellenic Studies at Princeton University in 2003, and she has held a joint appointment as a lecturer in the Department of Comparative Literature and the Department of French and Italian from 2004 to 2008. Rentzou teaches courses on modernism, avant-garde movements, surrealism, and the politics of culture and poetry. She has published extensively on these topics in various journals, edited volumes, and exhibition catalogues. As a founding member and former president of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism, she received recognition in 2023 as Chevalier of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques from the French Government for her contributions to French culture and education. Her notable publications include her monographs on surrealism and modernism, exploring the interconnectedness of avant-garde literature and global historical contexts.

Research Interests