Mieke Bal, a cultural theorist and critic, is a ‘Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Professor’ (KNAW). She is based at the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA), University of Amsterdam. Her areas of interest range from biblical and classical antiquity to seventeenth century and contemporary art and include modern literature, feminism and migratory culture. Her many books include A Mieke Bal Reader (University of Chicago Press, 2006); Travelling Concepts in the Humanities (University of Toronto Press, 2002); and Narratology (University of Toronto Press, 1985/3rd edition will appear in 2009). Bal is also a video-artist, and her experimental documentaries are exhibited internationally.