Ilanit’s research interests involve classical and pre-modern south Asian literature, especially
poetry. She currently works on poetry in classical Telugu from the Vijayanagara Empire,
specifically on the literary corpus associated with Krṣṇadeverāya’s reign (1509-1529). In her
research she examines the intersections between literature, religion, politics and history. Ilanit is
also interested in questions involving literary production in multi-lingual domains, especially the
dialogues and negotiations between different genres, conventions, and aesthetics.
Ilanit earned a PhD from the department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the
University of Chicago, an MA in Comparative Religion from Tel Aviv University, and a BArch
in Architecture and Town Planning from the Technion Israeli Institute of Technology.
Her languages of expertise are Sanskrit and classical Telugu.