# International Association of Literary Critics

> international organization

**Wikidata**: [Q117448713](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q117448713)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/international-association-of-literary-critics

## Summary
The International Association of Literary Critics (IALC / AICL) is an international organization and literary society founded in 1969, dedicated to the field of literary criticism. Operating across multiple countries, it is officially registered and recognized by numerous national libraries and international authority systems, maintaining its presence through its French-language website at https://www.aicl-fr.com. The association holds distinguished status as both a literary society and an international body established to advance critical discourse on literature globally.

## Key Facts
- **Founded**: 1969
- **Type**: International organization and literary society
- **Field of work**: Literary criticism
- **Website**: https://www.aicl-fr.com
- **Acronyms**: IALC, AICL
- **ISNI (International Standard Name Identifier)**: 0000000120970555
- **VIAF IDs**: 122742789, 167422789
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: n82124517
- **Bibliothèque Nationale de France ID**: 11880668m
- **National Library of Portugal IDs**: 1812550 (French name: Association internationale des critiques littéraires), 157 (Portuguese name: Associação Internacional dos Críticos Literários)
- **National Library of Poland MMS ID**: 9810654507105606
- **BibSYS ID (Norway)**: 98009689
- **Canadiana Name Authority ID**: ncf11112618
- **Yale LUX ID**: group/80a02b6d-df54-4667-bc22-9701441e8eec
- **CTHS Society ID (France)**: 3552
- **RERO ID (legacy)**: A005475255
- **IdRef ID (France)**: 026587787
- **UIA Open Yearbook Organization Website ID**: 1100041057

## FAQs

**What is the International Association of Literary Critics?**
The International Association of Literary Critics is an international organization and literary society established in 1969, focused exclusively on literary criticism. It is known by the acronyms IALC and AICL, and operates its official website at https://www.aicl-fr.com.

**In what fields does the International Association of Literary Critics operate?**
The organization works exclusively in the field of literary criticism, serving as a facet of that discipline. It is classified as both an international organization and a literary society.

**How is the International Association of Literary Critics recognized in library systems worldwide?**
The association is catalogued under multiple authority IDs across the globe, including the Library of Congress (n82124517), Bibliothèque Nationale de France (11880668m), National Library of Portugal (1812550, 157), National Library of Poland (9810654507105606), and BibSYS in Norway (98009689). It also holds an International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI): 0000000120970555.

**What are the multilingual names for the International Association of Literary Critics?**
The organization is known in French as "Association internationale des critiques littéraires" and in Portuguese as "Associação Internacional dos Críticos Literários." In English, it operates as the International Association of Literary Critics, with the acronyms IALC and AICL used across documentation.

**Where can the International Association of Literary Critics be found in academic and research databases?**
The association appears in the Yale University LUX system (group/80a02b6d-df54-4667-bc22-9701441e8eec), the French IdRef system (026587787), the French CTHS society registry (3552), and the UIA Open Yearbook of international organizations (1100041057).

## Why It Matters
The International Association of Literary Critics occupies a significant role as one of the few international organizations dedicated exclusively to literary criticism—a discipline central to how societies interpret, evaluate, and preserve literary culture. Since its founding in 1969, the association has served as a formal hub for critics working across national and linguistic boundaries, reinforcing the global exchange of critical methodologies and standards. Its sustained presence across five decades underscores the enduring need for institutional support of literary criticism as a profession and scholarly pursuit. Through its extensive cataloguing in major national libraries—from the United States and Canada to France, Portugal, Poland, and Norway—the organization demonstrates a level of international formal recognition that few literary societies achieve. This broad authority presence ensures that researchers, librarians, and scholars worldwide can reliably identify and reference the organization's contributions to the humanities.

## Notable For
- **Dual classification** as both an international organization and a literary society, a rare combination
- **Extensive international cataloguing presence**, with authority records in the Library of Congress, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, National Library of Portugal, National Library of Poland, BibSYS (Norway), and the Canadiana authority system
- **Multiple VIAF identifiers** (122742789 and 167422789), indicating complex bibliographic relationships across international name authority files
- **Inclusion in the UIA Open Yearbook** (ID: 1100041057), affirming its status among formally recognized international organizations
- **Registration in the Yale University LUX linked data system**, reflecting its academic significance
- **Multilingual official names**, demonstrating cross-cultural engagement across at least three languages
- **Founding in 1969**, situating its origins in a pivotal era of international cultural institution-building

## Body

### Identity and Classification
The International Association of Literary Critics is formally classified as both an international organization and a literary society. According to Wikidata, it falls under the broader category of international organizations—entities typically established by treaty between governments. Its field of work is literary criticism, and it serves as a facet of that discipline. The organization's Wikidata description is concise: "international organization." It carries the International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI) 0000000120970555 and is recognized under two primary acronyms: IALC and AICL.

### Historical Origins
The association was founded in 1969, placing its inception during a period of significant growth in international cultural and scholarly organizations. No further details about founding members, specific events, or inaugural conferences are provided in the source material.

### Multilingual Designations
The organization operates under several official names across languages:
- **English**: International Association of Literary Critics
- **French**: Association internationale des critiques littéraires
- **Portuguese**: Associação Internacional dos Críticos Literários

The French designation appears as the preferred name in the National Library of Portugal's records, suggesting the organization's historical or operational ties to Francophone culture. Its official website uses the French-language domain https://www.aicl-fr.com.

### International Authority and Cataloguing Records

**North American Systems:**
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: n82124517
- **Canadiana Name Authority ID**: ncf11112618

**French Systems:**
- **Bibliothèque Nationale de France ID**: 11880668m
- **IdRef ID**: 026587787
- **CTHS (Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques) Society ID**: 3552

**Other European Systems:**
- **National Library of Portugal ID**: 1812550 (preferred, with French name) and 157 (with Portuguese name)
- **National Library of Poland MMS ID**: 9810654507105606
- **BibSYS ID (Norway)**: 98009689
- **RERO ID (legacy, Switzerland)**: A005475255

**Academic and International Systems:**
- **Yale LUX ID**: group/80a02b6d-df54-4667-bc22-9701441e8eec
- **VIAF IDs**: 122742789, 167422789
- **UIA Open Yearbook Organization Website ID**: 1100041057

Several of these records reference VIAF ID 122742789 and are sourced from a Wikidata-identified dataset (P248: Q54919), with retrieval dates noted as 2024-09-06.

### Digital Presence
The association maintains its official website at https://www.aicl-fr.com. The domain extension (.fr) reinforces the organization's connection to France or Francophone infrastructure, consistent with the French-language primary designation used across multiple authority records.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File