Dr Emmanuel Francis
“The paratextual and metatextual fields of the Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai”
Besides the preparation of a critical edition of this devotional and literary text, perhaps composed in the 7th century of the Common Era, the project focusses also on the rich paratexts and the large number of metatexts (commentaries) accessible through the available manuscripts.
Emmanuel Francis holds degrees in classical philology, Asian history and philology, and a doctorate in languages and literatures from the Université catholique de Louvain, Emmanuel Francis is a historian, Sanskrit and Tamil scholar, epigrapher and manuscript specialist. Among his recent publications are “Tamil through Epigraphical Lenses” (Indo-Iranian Journal 58, 2015, pp. 49-69) and “Found in Paratexts: Murukaṉ’s Places in Manuscripts of the Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai” in The Archaeology of Bhakti II: Royal Bhakti, Local Bhakti (pp. 495-532) ed. by E. Francis & C. Schmid, Pondicherry: IFP & EFEO (“Indologie” series n° 132), forthcoming.