This Handbook surveys the state of the art in literary authorship studies. Its 27 original contributions by eminent scholars offer a multi-layered account of authorship as a defining element of literature and culture. Covering a vast chronological range, Part I considers the history of authorship from cuneiform writing to contemporary digital publishing; it discusses authorship in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, early Jewish cultures, medieval, Renaissance, modern, postmodern and Chinese literature. The second part focuses on the place of authorship in literary theory, and on challenges to theorizing literary authorship, such as gender and sexuality, postcolonial and indigenous contexts for writing. Finally, Part III investigates practical perspectives on the topic, with a focus on attribution, anonymity and pseudonymity, plagiarism and forgery, copyright and literary property, censorship, publishing and marketing and institutional contexts.

‘The volume has a useful thematic bibliography allowing for further investigation of many of the topics covered here … This volume is recommended for those interested in the ways that authors interact with other parts of the book trade, including publishers and booksellers, and is very important for readers wanting to learn about the various meanings of authorship across time and place.’

Catherine Armstrong Source: Publishing History

‘Literary authorship entails much more than composing texts that form aesthetic wholes. A host of other elements factor into the process, and for those interested in the dynamics of the phenomenon, there is no better source to consult than this handbook, which provides a comprehensive survey of the burgeoning field of intellectual inquiry and looks at the cultural peregrinations of a species erroneously thought by many to be extinct - the author.’

H. I. Einsohn Source: Choice