The study of pre-modern Arabic anthologies is much about asking questions: Can literary anthologies be studied as original works that possess a structure and an agenda in their own right, despite drawing from a fixed repertoire of texts? How does the choice of material reveal the individual interests of the compiler? Can the literary selections in an anthology be used in (re)constructing the author’s literary theory?

Abdulrahim Abu-Husayn and Bilal Orfali, convenors ot the conference on "Approaches to the Study of Pre-modern Arabic Anthologies" invited Beatrice Gründler as Honorary Guest Speaker to present her findings on "Indian Wisdom in Kalīla wa-Dimna."