The Night Closes, the Sky Opens

A global chorus from the archives of World Literature Today, this landmark collection of fiction, essays, poetry, and reviews commemorates a century of exploration through pen and ink.

A Compass On the Navigable Sea is a bold anthology that reimagines what international writing can be. From Nobel laureates to dissident authors, iconic mainstays to extraordinary newcomers, this collection brings together powerful poetry, visionary lectures, and urgent reflections to comprise a literary beacon for a rapidly changing world.

Spanning five dynamic sections—from foundational manifestos to groundbreaking critical takes, from national literatures to transnational identities—this archive offers readers a vibrant map of how stories cross borders, bridge histories, and shape futures. With contributions by Octavio Paz, Elie Wiesel, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Toni Morrison, Dubravka Ugrešić, and many others, the collection bridges genre, time, and location to ask: What can literature do in a time of crisis?