There is currently a sense that crisis is pervasive. The spread of terror/ism, international migration, population ageing, and economic crises are glocally experienced as threats that relate to the spread of fear and anxiety in society. In this context, scientific research is requested to respond and deliver solutions to the sufferings of this ailing body politic. What can literary studies “deliver” to society? In this lecture I will focus on how my literary research on aspects relating to migration, ageing and, most recently, emotions engages with these crucial matters.