Remembering Romit Dasgupta: mourning and meaning in the death of the Asian in Australia

Romit Dasgupta lectured in Japanese Studies at the University of Western Australia until his untimely passing in 2018. He was posthumously awarded the Philippa Maddern Award in 2019 by the University of Western Australia Academic Staff Association. The citation described him as ‘[p]rofessional, highly organised and respectful to all …proactive and willing to help others in regard to any issues, consistently demonstrating his passion in supporting his colleagues and students.’ In the essays collected here, Romit’s friends and colleagues reflect on Romit’s qualities and his academic contributions. Romit Dasgupta’s work ranged across gender and sexuality studies, queer theory, cultural studies, cultural history, Asian Studies and Asian-Australian Studies. Each of the authors discusses the inspiration they received from Romit Dasgupta’s work in these fields.