This monographic section of Status Quaestionis aims to explore today's uses of theory in the context of literary studies. In particular, this collection of essays stems from the idea of verifying which theories from the twentieth-century period are still present in the dominant perspectives of current literary research, and to what extent. The sixteen contributions hosted in this issue range from Critical Theory, Cultural Studies, Media Studies, Translation and Transnational Studies to contemporary narratology and lyric theory. In addition to the articles, the reader will also find inside five interviews, with which the editors have decided to propose in-depth studies on specific themes - Mediterranean Studies, Sociology of Literature, Translation Theory, Manipulation Theory, Lyric Theory - through a dialogue with scholars working abroad and, therefore, able to broaden the collective reflection