Introduction: Traveling Concepts in the Humanities

<p class="ql-align-justify">This special issue brings together a curated selection of papers from the 22nd International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities, held at Sapienza University of Rome (June 26–28, 2024), under the theme “Traveling Concepts: The Transfer and Translation of Ideas in the Humanities.” The contributions explore the mobility of concepts across literary, cultural, and critical studies, as well as their intersections with technology, pedagogy, and public engagement. Grounded in the understanding of the humanities as a dynamic field shaped by the circulation and transformation of ideas, this issue examines how concepts are re-contextualized across temporal, spatial, and disciplinary boundaries. The articles address a range of topics, including feminist theory, spatialized identity, digital literature, dialogic pedagogy, documentary performance, temporality in cultural analysis, and the role of the humanities in public life. Collectively, they demonstrate how traveling concepts enable new forms of interpretation, methodological innovation, and critical engagement. By foregrounding movement, translation, and reinterpretation, this issue reaffirms the humanities as a field defined by intellectual plurality and adaptive responsiveness to contemporary challenges.</p>