Word from Oxford

I am pleased to announce the launch of one of our most exciting and ambitious ventures in years: the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature. Started in 2015 under the guidance of Editor in Chief Paula Rabinowitz and an international editorial board, the project has quickly grown to host over 400 articles by renowned writers, critics, and scholars from all over the globe.

From the emergence of book culture in Northern Europe to vibrant 21st century Indian fiction, from female writers in Latin America to queer literature and film theory, the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature aims to map, over time, the world’s entire landscape of literary expressions and criticism, weaving together the various fields and approaches that make up literature in its broadest sense. This project will not only offer a rigorous yet accessible overview of current literary research but also become a living resource that evolves as the discipline evolves in order to constantly reflect and inspire new debates within the academic community.

The ORE’s scope has been conceived in the tradition of the great encyclopedic works of the past, but its methods for dissemination are wholly modern and tailored to the fast-changing needs of our digital world. In an age where information is of seemingly infinite quantity yet often of dubious accuracy, we strive to fill the demand for a high-quality, reliable, and easily navigable research tool. Peer-reviewed and frequently updated, articles have the opportunity to feature a wide array of multimedia resources, including audio-visual materials, links to digital archives, and other pedagogical tools.

We invite you to browse our recently published articles and welcome your feedback as we continue to build the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Literature. It is a collaborative initiative between Oxford University Press and the global scholarly communities, so please consider getting involved.

We look forward to working with you!

Yours,