The Literary Center/Hub: Formation, Definition, and Classification

• Published in: Funūn-i adabī Vol. 17; no. 4; p. 1
• Main Author: Alipoor, Esmaeil
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Persian
• Published: Iṣfahān University of Isfahan 01.07.2025
• Subjects: Biographies; Collective memory; Cultural factors; Cultural heritage; Data collection; Geography; Historiography; Interdisciplinary aspects; Literary history; Literature; Ontology; Political discourse; Qualitative research; Questions; Research design; Semiotics
• ISSN: 2008-8027; 2322-3448
• DOI: 10.22108/liar.2025.144179.2434

This study examines the role of four fundamental layers, ecological environment, economic geography, political geography, and cultural geography as essential infrastructures in the formation of literary centers/hubs throughout literary history. Time and space are key elements in literary historiography, and the emergence of institutions and gatherings of literary figures is inconceivable without considering spatial dimensions. The term "literary center" refers to a specific place where speakers of a language gather, forming educational, cultural, and literary institutions. While literary historians have frequently mentioned the locations where literary events and figures flourished, the exact nature and mechanism of their formation remain unclear. This study seeks to establish a systematic model for understanding the ontology of literary centers, exploring questions regarding their formation, features, and typology. The core idea is a geographical stratification approach, suggesting that the emergence of a literary center depends on the interaction of four spatial layers within a defined geographical unit. These interactions can lead to three distinct types of literary centers: territorial, regional, and urban. Furthermore, the study emphasizes that a literary center is not a passive physical space but an active, agentive discourse-producing entity that influences literary production, even as it transforms or migrates to other centers. Keywords: History of Literature; Space (Place); Stratification; Literary Center. Introduction The present study addresses a fundamental question in literary historiography: What constitutes a literary center, and how does it come into being? Time and place are central to the study of literary history, and the gathering of literary figures is inherently dependent on spatial conditions. Despite the frequent mention of "place" in literary biographies and histories, the exact dynamics of how a literary center is formed remain understudied. The aim of this study is to explore the ontological foundations of literary centers, presenting a typology based on their characteristics and developmental trajectories. Previous research has generally referred to centers of literary activity descriptively or regionally, without offering a structured model. This study builds upon interdisciplinary insights from human geography, cultural theory, and literary historiography to offer a layered spatial model. The research is guided by the following three research questions: 1) What are the necessary and sufficient conditions for the emergence of a literary center? 2) What qualifies a location as a literary center? 3) How can literary centers be classified? In doing so, the study seeks to reframe spatial discourse in literary studies from a descriptive to an analytical domain. Materials and Methods The research employs a conceptual-analytical methodology rooted in interdisciplinary approaches. The primary method includes qualitative analysis of literary-historical texts, maps, and documented biographies of authors and poets, along with a spatial reading of literary production patterns. The study draws on theories from literary geography and spatial humanities, particularly the notion of “layered geography,” to construct a model of literary center formation. Secondary sources include classical literary histories, tazkirahs, and historical atlases. By isolating key variables (e.g., environmental stability, cultural density, political centrality), the study identifies recurring patterns across historical periods and locations. The method also incorporates comparative analysis between known literary hubs (e.g., Baghdad, Neyshabour, Shiraz, Herat) to validate the proposed typology. Data collection emphasizes narrative documentation rather than statistical metrics, given the historical nature of the subject. Research Findings The findings of the study indicate that the formation of a literary center necessitates the convergence of four core geographical layers: ecological, economic, political, and cultural. These layers create the necessary groundwork for literary activity to emerge and thrive. Based on the intensity and balance of these layers, the current study identifies three main types of literary centers: Territorial Centers: covering vast cultural geographies, often aligned with empires or linguistic zones; Regional Centers: typically provincial capitals or culturally significant locales; Urban Centers: specific cities or towns that gain prominence due to institutional concentration and literary productivity. Moreover, the research suggests that literary centers function as active participants in literary production—they not only host literary activity but shape it. A literary center is, therefore, both a space and a semiotic actor: a site of discourse production that nurtures and disseminates literary forms. The study illustrates this with several historical examples, emphasizing that even when such centers lose their institutional status, their cultural resonance often continues in transformed or relocated forms. Discussion of Results and Conclusions The results of the study reinforce the central hypothesis that a literary center is not merely a geographic marker but a dynamic and layered phenomenon shaped by interrelated spatial dimensions. These centers serve as incubators of literary identity and tradition, influencing the trajectory of literary history. The geographical stratification model presented here provides a new lens through which literary scholars can study the rise and fall of literary hubs across time. Importantly, the model accounts for both the material and symbolic components of space, revealing how literary centers act as discursive agents. Even after their decline or physical dissolution, many centers persist through cultural memory, textual influence, and institutional replication elsewhere. The study thus offers a conceptual framework for future research on literary geography and proposes that literary historiography adopt a more spatially nuanced and interdisciplinary methodology.