21ST CENTURY LITERATURE FROM THE PHILIPPINES AND THE WORLD

QUARTER 2 – WEEK 1
HANDOUT NO. 1
In the 21st century, we witness a huge leap in terms of technological advancements. Along with these
advancements, reading literary works has to compete against online games, social media sites, virtual reality games, and
many more. Seldom do most young people read nowadays especially lengthy literary works like novels or short stories.
Consequently, most writers have to be creative and innovative. Most of them have gone back to writing short pieces like
flash fiction or have come up with new ones like creative non-fiction.
However, the question remains, “Is reading literature in the 21st century still significant?” The answer can be found
in a condensed version of the introduction made by the American modern writer John Green for a miniseries on reading
literature found in YouTube.
In the said presentation, Green cites the following reasons:

• Stories are about communication.

• Reading is always an act of empathy, always an imagining of what it’s like to be somebody else.

• Reading critically and thoughtfully gives us better tools to explain corporate profits and broken hearts and helps
us to connect to each other.

• By knowing what it’s like to be the people we read about, we learn more about those around us, those who came
before us, and we learn more about ourselves.
Source: https://thecurrent.educatorinnovator.org/resource_section/literature-in-the-21st-century
The next big question is, “What texts are to be read in the 21st century?” An educator Antero Garcia (2013)
writes that a text is not limited to written texts anymore. He cites spoken word poetry as an emerging trend among many
young artists. He also includes movies, text messages, blogs, podcasts,
screen plays, and audio books as products of the technological
advancements in literature. He claims that as long as a piece of work
can be re-read, analyze, visualize, interpret, evaluate, and relate to real
life then it is to be considered a non-traditional text. Nonetheless, it does
not mean that this century has left the traditional genres in literature in
the dump. Novelists like JK Rowling from England of the Harry Potter
series, Americans Veronica Roth of the Divergent series, Suzanne
Collins of the Hunger Games franchise, Rick Riordan of the Percy
Jackson and The Olympians series and Stephanie Meyer because of her
Twilight series are just a few who have acquired fame in the 21 st century.
Meanwhile Kevin Barry, George Saunders, and Haruki Murakami who
are all prolific novelists have also proven their worth as short story
writers.

Prominent British novelist Joanne

Kathleen Rowling or more popularly known
as JK Rowling is the author the Harry Potter
series. Rowling conceived the idea of the
book while traveling on a train.
 In spite of the progress that 21st century has brought to create a global village, several issues persist that attempt
to divide the people. Discriminations in gender, race, socio-economic status, and religion abound. Consequently, modern
writers, poets, screenwriters have taken up these issues as the topics of their works. Eloquently delivered speeches about
gender have both been delivered by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie of Nigeria and prominent actress Emma Watson from UK.
A passionate spoken word poetry about racism from a Zimbabwe-born New Zealander Takunda Muzondiwa has raked
more than half a million views. Young, Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg’s speeches have impacted millions
of people around the world.

Nigerian award-winning novelist, short story writer,

and speaker Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has delivered
one of the most powerful speeches about feminism
which piqued the interest of many and started a global
conversation about it.

Photo Source: http://kachifo.com/authors.php

Japan’s pride, Haruki Murakami, is said to be

the Franz Kafka of Asia. Indeed, Murakami has
even released a novel titled, Kafka on the Shore.
Murakami, who is known for his pensive and
philosophical works, was nominated in 2017 for a
Nobel Peace Prize. He may have not brought home
this award but he has already won many accolades
both from critics and readers as well.

Photo Source: https://welltempered.wordpress.com/2014/09/07/classical-music-japanese-writer-haruki-murakami-and-composer-franz-liszt-work-well-

together-both-are-haunting-creators-here-is-a-chance-to-hear-how-as-you-read/
 Swedish environmental activist Greta Tintin
Eleonora Ernman Thunberg created a stir among
many people from different countries because of the Picture Source: https://www.rte.ie/news/europe/2020/0304/1120210-greta-
speeches she had delivered. Thunberg believes that thunberg-eu-climate/
individuals are now facing an existential crisis because
of the climate change.

Seventeen-year old Thunberg has been named

Time People of the Year last year, 2019. She also has
received numerous awards from different bodies and
has met several heads of nations and other prominent
personalities.

It has stopped to surprise many older people that

Photo Source: https://nevahblackdown.com/
younger ones have courageously faced and spoken
about social injustices. One of the students who
have impacted social media because of her spoken
poetry in a student competition about racism and
diaspora is Takunda Muzondiwa, a Zimbabwe-
born New Zealander.

One of the most heartbreaking part of her piece

is “In this jungle where racism runs wild, I am your
prey. You are my predator, devouring my history.”