The Routledge Companion to Literary Media examines the fast-moving present and future of a media ecosystem in which the literary continues to play a vital role. The term ‘literary media’ challenges the tendency to hold the two terms distinct and broadens accepted usage of the literary to include popular cultural forms, emerging technologies and taste cultures, genres, and platforms, as well as traditions and audiences all too often excluded from literary histories and canons.

Featuring contributions from leading international scholars and practitioners, the Companion provides a comprehensive guide to existing terms and theories that address the alignment of literature and a variety of media forms. It situates the concept in relation to existing theories and histographies; considers emerging genres and forms such as locative narratives and autofiction; and expands discussion beyond the boundaries by which literary authorship is conventionally defined. Contributors also examine specific production and publishing contexts to provide in-depth analysis of the promotion of literary media materials. The volume further considers reading and other aspects of situated audience engagement, such as Indigenous and oral storytelling, prize and review cultures, book clubs, children, and young adults.

This authoritative collection is an invaluable resource for scholars and students working at the intersection of literary and media studies.

Astrid Ensslin is Professor of Digital Cultures and Communication at the University of Regensburg in Germany. She has published books on literary gaming, digital fiction, pre-web digital publishing, and language in the media, and is principal editor of the Bloomsbury Electronic Literature book series.

Julia Round is Associate Professor of English and Comics Studies at Bournemouth University, UK. Her books include Gothic in Comics and Graphic Novels (2014) and the award-winning Gothic for Girls (2019). She is one of the founders and editors of Studies in Comics journal and the Encapsulations book series.

Bronwen Thomas is Emeritus Professor of English and New Media at Bournemouth University in the UK. She is the author of Literature and Social Media (2020) and has led several major projects on digital reading in the UK and Kenya.