The book Intertextuality: The Memory of Literature by Tiphaine Samoyault, translated by Dr. Ali Abbasi, faculty member of the School of Literature and Humanities at Shahid Beheshti University, and Dr. Mitra Moradi, alumna of Shahid Beheshti University, has been published.
Released for the first time in 2025 by Shahid Beheshti University Press, the book comprises 184 pages in paperback format and is priced at 1,700,000 IRR.
According to the University Public Relations Office, the theory of intertextuality—one of the most influential literary theories of the twentieth century—is regarded as a pivotal field within contemporary criticism. Based on this theory, every text is an echo of texts that precede it; the creation and interpretation of a new text is not an independent process but the outcome of a complex network of past and present texts.
Intertextuality, a process in which one text is born from another, initially emerged as a purely theoretical concept. Over time, however, it developed into a practical approach that extends beyond literature and now serves as a methodological framework for interpreting various forms of artistic expression.
In this work, the author likens intertextuality to the “memory of literature,” asserting that literature continually recalls itself.
The first section of the book reviews the history of intertextuality, categorizing different interpretations of the concept into two general groups: broad interpretations and narrow interpretations. The second section examines intertextual methods, focusing specifically on the operations of merging and pasting. The third section explores themes such as literature’s relationship to reality, self-referentiality in literature, and the classification of positive and negative intertextual behaviors.
The translators have aimed to provide accurate and appropriate equivalents for the at times complex concepts of this field. Where additional clarification was needed, explanatory footnotes were added to minimize potential ambiguities.
Students and interested readers may purchase the book from the Sales Office of the Shahid Beheshti University Scientific Publications Center, located on the ground floor of the Information Technology (IT) Building. Online ordering is also available through the Center’s website. Additionally, the electronic version of the book can be purchased through the platforms Fidibo and Taghc