Why do we read for leisure? And what influences the reading choices we make? Twenty-first Century Literature: Texts and Contexts examines a selection of prize-winning, acclaimed and/or notorious twenty-first century fictions and non-fictions. We follow the commercial and critical circulation of these works. We explore some of the cultural and institutional contexts that shape contemporary literature: publishing, bookshops and on-line selling, authors as celebrities, literary prizes and festivals, the prevalence of book clubs, the function of contemporary literature in schools and universities, and literary censorship. We examine the impact of these cultural and institutional forces in light of literary theories of authorship and readership.
