Literature broadly refers to any collection of written or oral work, but it more commonly and

narrowly refers to writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose (fiction,
non-fiction), epic drama, poetry forms and the like, in contrast to academic writing and
newspapers Literature, as an art form, can also include works in various non-fiction genres,
such as autobiography, diaries, memoir, letters, and the essay, as well as in the disciplines of
history and philosophy. Of the modern written works are those the literatures of Europe are
compiled in many languages; among the most important in English, Spanish, French, Dutch,
Polish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Modern Greek, Czech, Russian, Macedonian, the
Scandinavian languages, Gaelic and Turkish.

Representative Texts and Authors from Asia

Asia, the largest continent in the world, has a vast literary tradition in terms of scope and length
of existence. Literature in the Eastern hemisphere prospered and mirrored the developments in
religion, war, and politics. It is wise to study the Asian literature by geographical region.

East Asia
China, one of the world’s cradles of civilization, has started its unbroken literary tradition in the
14th century BCE. The preservation of the Chinese language (both spoken and written), has
made the immeasurable prolonged existence of their literary traditions possible. It has retained
its reputation by keeping the fundamentals of its identity intact. Poets like Du Fu, Li Po, and
Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the finest era of Chinese literature, has produced
world-renowned literary works. Chinese writers in modern times are still creative and
productive and have kept the Chinese literary tradition prosperous
Du Fu He is also known as Tu fu. According to many literary critics, he was the greatest Chinese
poet of all time. He wrote the poem “The Ballad of the Army Cats” which is about conscription-
and with hidden satire that speaks of the noticeable luxury of the court.

 Li Po He is also known as Li Bai, a Chinese poet who is a competitor of Du Fu as China’s

greatest poet. He was romantic in his personal life and his poetry. His works are known
for its conversational tone and vivid imagery. He wrote the poem “Alone and Drinking
under the Moon” that deals with the ancient social custom of drinking .
 Wang Wei He was a poet, painter, musician, ”nd statesman during the Tang dynasty
(the golden ages of the Chinese cultural history). He was the established founder of the
respected Southern school of painter-poets. Many of his best poems were inspired by
the local landscape.
 Mo Yan He was a fictionist who won the 2012 Nobel Prize for Literature. First novel was
“Red Sorghum”, and still his best-known work. It tells the story of the Chinese battling
 Japanese intruders as well as each other during the 1930s. It relates the story of a family
in a rural area in Shandong Province during this turbulent
 Yu Hua He was a world-acclaimed short story writer and considered as a champion for
Chinese meta-fictional or postmodernist writing. His widely acclaimed novel To Live”
describes the struggles endured by the son of a wealthy land-owner while historical
events caused and extended by the Chinese Revolution are fundamentally altering the
nature of Chinese society.

Korea’s literary tradition is greatly influenced by China’s cultural dominance. As early as the 4 th
century CE, Korean poets wrote literary pieces in Classical Chinese poetry then transformations
happened at the 7th century. Hangul, Korean’s distinct writing system and national alphabet, is
developed in the 15th century that gave new beginnings of Korean literature. In contemporary
times, the Korean War has made a significant mark on Korean literature. In 1950, the themes
present in the literary works are about alienation, conscience, disintegration, and self-identity.
• Ch’oe Nam-Seon He was considered a prominent historian, pioneering poet, and publisher in
the Korean literature. He was also a leading member of the modern literary movement and
became notable in pioneering modern Korean poetry. One of his works, the poem “The Ocean
to the Youth made him a widely acclaimed poet. The poem aimed to produce cultural reform.
He sought to bring modern knowledge about the world to the youth of Korea.

 Yi Kwang-su He was also the one who launched the modern literary movement together
with Ch’oe Nam-Seon. He was a novelist and wrote the first Korean novel “The
Heartless” and became well-known because of it. It was a description of the crossroads
at which Korea found itself, stranded between tradition and modernity. And undergoing
conflict between social realities and traditional ideals.
 Kim Ok He was a Korean poet and included in the early modernism movement of
Korean poetry. He wrote the first Korean collection of translation from Western poetry
“The Dance of Agon
  Yun Hunggil He was a South Korean novelist who won the 1977 Korean Literature
Writers Award. He wrote the classic novel “Changma” (The Rainy Spell) that on a post-
war family with two grandmothers and their shared grandson.
 Pak Kyongni She was a South Korean poet and novelist. She wrote the Korean’s
Masterpiece and internationally acclaimed 21-volume epic novel T’oji (The
Land”).Wherein she chronicled the violent Korean history from 1897 to 1945.

Japan has a rich and unique literary history even though it has been influenced by the Chinese
language and Chinese literature. It has a world-renowned poetic genre called haiku (a short
descriptive poem with 17 syllables) and the diverse forms of theatre Noh (traditional Japanese
theatrical form and one of the oldest extant theatrical forms in the world) and Kabuki
(traditional Japanese popular drama with singing and dancing performed in a highly stylized
manner). Japanese literature reflects simple yet complex, imperfect yet abounding with beauty
the traditional Japanese cultural identity. In contemporary times, Western influences take part
in the Japanese literature, specifically in the pioneering of modern Japanese novels, translations
of the poetry, and reinventions of traditional Japanese poetic forms like haiku and tanka.
Playwrights like Abe Kobo and Mishima Yukio are Japan’s notable literalists.

 Abe Kobo He was a Japanese novelist and playwright and also known by the pseudonym
Of Abe Kimifusa. He wrote the best known play Tomodachi (Friends) which is a story,
with dark humor, reveals the relationship with the other, and exposes the peculiarity of
human relations in the present age.” He also won the 1967 Akutagawa Award. He also
won the 1951 Akutagawa Award for his short novel Kabe (“The Wall”).
 Kimitake Hiraoka He is also known by the pen name Mishima Yukio, the most important
Japanese novelist of the 20th century. He was one of the finalists of the 1963 Nobel Prize
for Literature and won numerous awards for his works. He wrote the novel “The Temple
of the Golden Pavilion” and won Yomiuri Prize from Yomiuri Newspaper Corporation for
the best novel. “The Temple of the Golden Pavilion”, translated into The English
language by Ivan Morris, based on the burning of the Reliquary (or Golden Pavilion) of
Kinkaku-Ji in Kyoto by a young Buddhist acolyte in 1950.
 Ryunosuke Akutagawa He was a Japanese writer and regarded as the Father of the
Japanese short Story. He wrote the short story “Rashomon” that recounts the encounter
between a servant and an old woman in the dilapidated Rashomon, the southern gate
of the then-ruined city of Kyoto, where unclaimed corpses were sometimes dumped.
The Akutagawa Prize, Japan’s premier literary award was named after him to honor his
memory after he died by committing suicide.
 Haruki Msuicide He was a Japanese novelist who won the International award
Jerusalem Prize. He also won the Gunzou Literature Prize for his first novel “Hear the
Wind Sing”. It featured episodes in the life of an unnamed protagonist and his friend,
 the Rat, who hang out at a bar. The unnamed protagonist reminisces and muses about
life and intimacy. Murakami’s work has been translated into more than fifty languages.

Middle East
Arabic literary tradition has been flourishing in the Middle East, Islam is the foundation of
culture in this region – an essential component. Its literary tradition has grown and influenced
others like Persian, Byzantine, and Andalusian traditions. In return, Arabic literature has also
been influenced by other literary traditions of different countries. Even European literature
followed and imitated Arabic literature. In contemporary times, Arabic writers experience
difficulties in producing their literary texts due to the issue of freedom of expression and the
tension between religious and secular movements.

 Abbas Mahmoud al-Aqqad He was an Egyptian poet, journalist, and literary critic, an
innovator of the 20th-century Arabic poetry and criticism. He became famous for his
Abqariyat series, a seven-book compilation that covers the life of seven of the most
important Sahabah (the disciples and followers of Muhammad).
 Taha Hussein He was an Egyptian novelist, essayist, critic, and an outstanding figure in
Egyptian literature. His nickname was “The Dean of Arabic Literature”. He wrote the
novelized autobiography “The Days”, one of the most popular works of modern Arabic
Literature that deals with his childhood in a small village, then his studies in Egypt and
France.

 Ali Ahmad Said Esber He is known also as Adonis as his pseudonym. He is an award-
winning Syrian-born Lebanese poet, literary critic, and is a leader of the modernist
movement In contemporary Arabic poetry. He was the recipient of numerous honors,
including the 2011 Goethe Prize and the 2017 PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in
International. Some of his famous poems are “First Poems” and “Leaves in the Wind”.
 Etgar Keret He is an Israeli writer known for his short stories, graphic novels, and
scriptwriting for film and television. His 2019 Fly Already (“Glitch at the Edge of the
Galaxy”) published in English won Israel’s prestigious Sapir Prize in Literature
South and Southeast Asia
India is the cultural giant over South Asia. Hallmark writings such as Veda, the Brahmanas, and
the Upanishads are the roots of Indian literature. As early as 1500 BCE, the Veda written in the
Sanskrit language introduced the birth of Indian literary works. Around the 16 th century, written
literature in India appeared. In the succeeding centuries of British colonization, English
literature emerged that happen to be the significant influence of Indian literary traditions until
the 21st century period. Kalidasa is a notable and famous Indian writer considered to be the
Hindu Shakespeare.
The literary traditions of Southeast Asia possess the influences of Buddhist, Thai, and English
cultures, especially in Burma literature. Malaysian and Indonesian literature reflects a large part
of the Sanskrit language and Islam culture.
In contemporary times, India still manifests the impact of colonial rule through the presence of
the English language in literary traditions. Numerous Indian writers like the Rabindranath
Tagore, Prem Chand, Raja Rao, and R.K. Narayan are highly accomplished and internationally
known. Southeast Asia literature presents themes on colonial and postcolonial experiences in
Burmese literature and western literature influences in Thailand literature.

 Rabindranath Tagore He was a Bengali poet, short-story writer, song composer,

playwright, essayist, and painter. He was referred to as “the Bard of Bengal”. He is a
towering figure of world literature and the most famous modern Indian poet. He won
the 1913 Nobel Prize for Literature award for his book The English Gitanjali or Song
Offerings It is a volume of poetry which is a collection of devotional songs to the
supreme.
 Dhanpat Rai Srivastava Also known by his pseudonym Prem Chand, he is a famous
Indian author of novels and short stories of his modern Hindustani literature. He
pioneered in adapting Indian themes to Western literary styles. He wrote the most
popular Hindi novel “Godaan” (Cow Donation) and considered one of the greatest
 supreme novels of modern Indian literature. Its theme was around the socio-economic
deprivation as well as the exploitation of the village poor.
 Raja Rao He Is an Indian writer of novels and short stories in the English language. His
famous novel “The Serpent and the Rope”, a semi-autobiographical account of the
narrator, a young intellectual Brahman, and his wife seeking spiritual truth in India,
France, and England, recognized him as one of the fines Indian prose Stylists. It won him
the Sahitya Akademi Award. He was also rewarded the Neustadt International Prize for
Literature. His literary works in various genres had a significant contribution to Indian
and to world literature.
 Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan (R. K. Narayan) One of the finest Indian authors in
the English language, he wrote the Sahitya Award-winning novel “The Guide” which was
adapted for film and for Broadway. It was based on the fictional town in South India and
describes the transformation of the protagonist from a tour guide to a spiritual guide
and one of the greatest holy men of India.
 Chart Korbjitti He is the most successful Thai writer. He was recognized by his
publication of his novel Khamphiphaksa (The Judgment). His novel was named as Book
of the Year by Thailand’s Literature Council and won him the S.E.A Write Award. He was
awarded the National Artist in Literature (2004) and was among the honorees of the
inaugural Silpathom Award, given to Thai contemporary artists.
 .Nguyen Du The best-loved poet and the father of Vietnamese literature, he was most
known for his epic poem “The Tale of Kieu that recounts the life, trials, and tribulations
of Thuy Kieu, a beautiful and talented young woman, who has to sacrifice herself to save
her family. She sells herself into marriage with a middle- nged man, not knowing that he
is a pimp, and is forced into prostitution.
 Tengku Amir Hamzah He was an Indonesian poet and National Hero of Indonesia. His
poem collection “Nyangi Sunyi” is considered the most developed and shows the theme
of God and His relationship to humanity, fate, dissatisfaction, and escape. Some literary
critics think that the collection is an attempt to address the worldly problems of Amir.
He was the only Indonesian poet recognized internationally.
Central Asia
Central Asian literature has different literary characteristics and political in culture. In
contemporary times, Russian influence continues to be present in Central Asia literature. Some
of the Central Asian writers and their literary works pave their way to be known worldwide.

 Abdullah Qodiriy He was known by the pseudonym Julqunboy. He was one of the most
influential Uzbek writers of the 20th century and Soviet playwright, poet, writer,and
literary translator. His most famous work is the historical novel O’tgan kunlar (Days
Gone By), the first Uzbek full-length novel.
 Mukhtar Auez-uli He was an early Soviet Kazakh writer and won recognition for the
long novel “Abay” which is based on the life and poetry of Kunanbay-uli.
 Chingiz Aytmatov He was a Soviet and Kyrgyz author and the best-known figure in
Kyrgyz and Russian literature. “Jamila”, his first major novel was told from the viewpoint
of a fictional character that tells the story by looking back on his childhood. The Story
recounts the love between his new sister-in-law Jamilya and a local crippled Young man,
Daniyar, while Jamilya’s husband, Sadyk, is “away at the front” (as A Soviet soldier
during World War II).

Representative Texts and Authors from Africa Africa, the “Cradle of the humankind”
according to scientists, has a literature that is
Filled with the human spirit, desiring for freedom and contentment. African literature
consists of oral tradition and written literature ranging from local languages brought by
the colonizers (English, Portuguese, and French). The experiences of the colonization
and post- colonization shape the African literature.the oral literature of Africa such as
myths, stories, riddles, proverbs, and dramas document the exploits of the heroes of the
communities, remind the people about their culture and traditions, entertain and
educate the youth. It flourishes across the continent in the 15th century CE until the
interaction of Africa with Europe and Asia, their trade and cultural partners, serves as
the main contributor to the African literature growth. In the 19 th century, European
countries compete for the colonization of the African Territory to gain political and
economic edge. The colonization and slave trade has awaken the African psyche (the
soul and mind) incredibly. The literary works are the vehicle, specifically the newspaper,
in exposing the psychological social impact of colonization. African writers express their
cry for freedom from oppression through their poetry and narrative works. Though they
use the European language to produce their literary works, the cry for independence
has reached to the climax, so strong and effective, with the embodiment of the spirit of
nationalism, gained worldwide acclaim. Numerous notable African writers are Chinua
Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Kofi Awoonor, Ngungi wa Thiong’o (East Africa’s leading
novelist), Okot pBitek, Nadine Gordimer, Dennis Crutus. Eskia Mphahlele, and Jacques
 Rabemananjara. In the contemporary times, African writers experience new challenges
with their new and sovereign government. They still use their literary works as a vehicle
in expressing their voices against their government with a constant theme of corruption.

 Chinua Achebe Associations. His first novel and masterpiece, “Things Fall Apart”, is the
most widely read book in modern African literature. It concerns the traditional Igbo life
at the he was a Nigerian novelist, poet, critic, and professor and was honored as Grand
Prix de la Memoir of the 2019 edition of the Grand Prix of Literary Time of the advent of
missionaries and the colonial government in his homeland.
 Wole Soyinka He was the first black African to be awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for
Literature. One of his famous works is his first important play “A Dance of the Forests”
which was written for the Nigerian independence celebrations. It parodies the emerging
nation by stripping it of romantic legend and by showing that the present is no more a
golden age than it was before.
 Kofi Awoonor He was a Ghanian novelist and poet who wrote “This Earth, My Brother”,
a cross between a novel and a poem. It was told on two levels each representing a
distinct reality. The first level is a standard narrative which details a day in the life of an
attorney named Amamu. The second level is a symbol-laden mystical journey filled with
biblical and literary allusions. These portions of the text deal with the new nation of
Ghana, which is represented by a baby on a dunghill. The dunghill is a source of both rot
and renewal, and in this way represents the foundations upon Which Ghana was built.
Ngungi wa Thiong’o East Africa’s leading novelist, a Kenyan writer who wrote the
famous novel “Weep Not, Child”. It was the first major novel in English by an East
African. It deals with the Mau-Mau Uprising, a war in the British Kenya Colony (1920-
1963) between the Kenya Land and Freedom Army.

 Okot p’ Bitek He was a Ugandan poet, novelist, and social anthropologist who wrote
the three verse collections – Song of Lawino (1066), Song of Ocol (1970), and Two Songs
(1971). He achieved international recognition for Song of Lawina, a long poem dealing
with the tribulations of a rural African wife whose husband has taken up urban life And
wishes everything to be westernized. It was followed by the husband’s replyiThe Song of
Ocol
 Nadine Gordimer A South African writer and the recipient of the 1991 Nobel Prize in
Literature. She wrote the joint winner of the Booker McConnell Prize novel
Conservationist. The story is a character study of a successful South African industrial
executive and, by extension, a critique of South Africa.
 Jacques Rabemananjara He was a Malagasy playwright and poet and one of
Madagascar’s most prominent writers. He wrote and published his play “Les dieux
malgaches”, the first modern Malagasy play in French. This play dealt with the pre-
colonial past and with the coup that unseated King Radama II in 1863.
  Es’kia Mphahlele He wrote the South African classic autobiography “Down Second
Avenue” about the story of a young man’s growth into adulthood with penetrating
social criticism of the conditions forced upon black South Africans by a system of
Institutionalized racial segregation. Thomas Mofolo He was the greatest writer from the
Sotho people in Africa. He created the first Western-style novels in the Basotho
language. His novel “Chaka” became a classic, It was a historical novel about the story of
the rise and fall of the Zulu king Shaka Dennis P. Kunene translated the novel from Sotho
to English

North America is a mainland or continent totally inside the Northern Hemisphere and
practically ‫ هلل‬inside the Western Hemisphere. It is the third- biggest landmass by region,
following Asia and Africa, and the fourth by populace after Asia, Africa, and Europe. It
incorporates the nations of Central America, Mexico, the United States, Canada, Greenland,
and the islands of the Caribbean district Various writers from This continent are prominent for
their works and contribution to the body of literature

David L. Weatherford is a child psychologist with published poems in “Chicken Soup for the
Soul”. He was born on July 20, 1952 in Mount Vernon, Jefferson County, Illinois, USA. He died
on January 7, 2010 at age 57. One of his poems is entitled “Slow Dance”.

Alfred Edward Housman, known as A. E. Housman, was an English traditional researcher and
writer, most popular to the overall population for his pattern of sonnets “A Shropshire Lad”.
Melodious and practically epigrammatic in structure, the sonnets contemplatively bring out the
fates and frustrations of youth in the English countryside. He was one of the premier classicists
of his age and has been positioned as probably the best researcher who ever lived. One of his
works is entitled “When I Was One-and-Twenty.”
Kate Chopin was an American creator of short stories and books situated in Louisiana. She is
currently considered by some scholars to have been a harbinger of American twentieth century
women’s activist writers of Southern or Catholic foundation. One of her works is entitled “The
Story of An Hour.”

James Grover Thurber was an American sketch artist, creator, comedian, writer, dramatist, and
commended mind. He was most popular for his kid’s shows and short stories, distributed
primarily in The New Yorker and gathered in his various books. Thurber was one of the most
mainstream comedians of his time and commended the comic disappointments and
unconventionalities of common individuals. His works have every now and again been adjusted
into films, including The Male Animal (1942). The Battle of the Sexes (1959, in view of Thurber’s
“The Catbird Seat”), and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (adjusted twice, in 1947 and in 2013),

Robert Charles Benchley was an American comedian most popular for his work as a paper
editorialist and film entertainer.Benchley is best associated with his commitments to The New
Yorker, where his expositions, regardless of whether effective or absurdist, impacted numerous
advanced comedians. He also wrote essays. One of his works is entitled “My Face.”

Latin America is the area of the Americas where Romance dialects especially Spanish and
Portuguese, just as French are principally spoken. It incorporates 20 countries such as Mexico in
North America; Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama in Central
America; Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, French Guiana, Paraguay, Brazil,
Argentina and Uruguay in South America; Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Puerto Rico
in the Caribbean-in synopsis, Hispanic America, Brazil, and Haiti.
Tess Almendarez-Lojacono is an essayist, entrepreneur, and instructor. She graduated from
Carnegie Mellon University. Worldwide Family Magazine is as of now distributing stories from
her assortment called Milagros in their Latin Families section. Her work has showed up in Off
Course, an artistic diary, and in The Cortland Review. One of her works is entitled “Just One
Thing.”

21st Century Literature Defined

The year 2000 marked the onset of the 21 century. People born from this year onwards belong
to Generation Z, and are considered digital natives. Technology plays a vital role in this current
era. This same backdrop applies with literature. Literary works produced in the 21 century have
also learned to transition from print to modern technology. In a nutshell, 21 st century literature
comprises literary works written from the year 2000 up to the present.
The clutches of technological advancement as a requisite of globalization have extended Into
every aspect of human existence, and this includes the study of literature. As the whole world
welcomed the advent of technological revolution, instruction has also embraced the concept of
a global classroom. Hence, skills in using technology has now become an important tool, at
home, at work and most especially in schools.
21st Century learners are adept at technology, hence the teaching-learning process has never
been the same. In the study of literature, there emerged new literary genres that involve the
great use of technology. The 21st Century Learner is one who grew up with technology as a
primary learning tool. S/he is capable of navigating and interpreting digital formats and media
messages and possesses literacy skills which include technological abilities such as keyboarding,
internet navigation, interpretation of tech-speak, ability to communicate and interpret coded
language and decipher graphics.

Genres of 21st Century Literature

The term genre refers to a type of art, literature, or music characterized by a specific form,
content, and style. For example, literature has four main genres: Poetry, drama, fiction, and
non-fiction. All of these genres have particular features and functions that distinguish them
from one another. Hence, it is necessary on the part of readers to know which category of
genre they are reading in order to understand the message it conveys, as they may have certain
expectations prior to the reading concerned.
21st Century Literature is composed of literary works created within the last decade. Written by
contemporary authors, these works deal with current themes and issues and reflect a
technological culture. These include emerging genres blogs. Format books, digi-fiction, doodle
fiction and graphic novels.
1 . Illustrated novels. The term illustrated novel refers to an extended narrative with multiple
images that, together with the text, produce meaning. About 50% of the narrative is presented
through pictures. Some illustrated novels may contain no text at all
2. Digi-fiction. Digi-Fiction is a book that includes passcodes so that there is more information
for the book online. It might be short videos to watch, or more text. Sometimes Digi-fiction can
also mean that the entire book can be found in an online version only.
3) Graphic novels. A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the
reader using comic form. The term is employed in a broad manner, encompassing non-fiction
works and thematically-linked short stories as well as fictional stories across a number of
genres.
4) Manga. Manga is the Japanese word for comics. It is used in the English-speaking world as a
generic term for all comic books and graphic novels originally published in Japan. Manga is
considered an artistic storytelling style.
Kinds of Manga
  shonen – boys’ manga [show-nen]
 shojo – girls’ manga [show-jaw]
 seinen – men’s manga [sey-nen]

 josei – women’s manga [josey-nen

 kodomo – children’s manga [kow-dow-mou]
Reading Manga Manga usually follows the traditional style as found in Japan. Japanese manga
is to be read from the right side to the left, including the reading of the comic panels, opposite
of traditional American books.
5) Doodle fiction. A doodle fiction is a literary presentation where the author Incorporates
doodle drawings and handwritten graphics in place of the traditional font. Drawings enhance
the story, often adding humorous elements that would be missing if the illustrations were
omitted
6) Textula. The textula (a blend of the English word “text” and the Tagalog word “tula), is
mobile phone poetry (poem written in the form of a text message) following the structure of
the tanaga, a Filipino poem consisting of four lines with seven syllables per line and having the
same rhyme at the end of each line, that is an AABB rhyme scheme. The modern tanaga,
however, have rhymes that range from dual rhyme forms: AABB, ABAB, ABBA; to freestyle
forms such as AAAB, BAAA, or ABCD. Tanagas do not have titles traditionally because the
tanaga should speak for itself. However, writers can opt to give them titles.
7) Creative nonfiction. It is a rich mix of flavors, ideas and techniques, some of which are newly
invented and others as old as writing itself. Creative nonfiction can be an essay, a journal
article, a research paper, a memoir, or a poem; and can be personal or otherwise.
8) Hyperpoetry. Hypertext poetry is a new genre of literature that uses the computer screen as
medium rather than the printed page. The literary works rely on the qualities unique to a digital
environment, such as linked worldwide web pages or effects such as sound and movement.
9) Chick Lit. A chick lit consists of women-centered narratives that focus on the trials and
tribulations of their individual protagonists. It often addresses issues of modern womanhood –
from romantic relationships to female friendships to matters in the workplace – in humorous
and lighthearted ways.
10) Speculative fiction. It is a story that deals with observations of the human condition but
offers the experience through a different lens, and challenges the reader to see what tomorrow
could be like or what the mythic past of one’s imagination actually is. They are narratives
concerned not so much with science or technology as with human actions in response to a new
situation created by science or technology. A speculative fiction highlights a human rather than
technological problem (Heinlein, 1941)
11) Flash fiction. Flash fiction is a fictional work of extreme brevity that still offers character and
plot development. Flash fiction is a medium of brief and enclosed stories. Its average word
count ranges anywhere from five to 1,500 words, but the consensus is that the maximum tops
out at 2,000. Also called short shorts nanotales, micro-stories, postcard fiction, or napkin
fiction, flash fiction is not just a pared-down short story. Its focus is not necessarily on plot or
characters, though it should still have both. Instead, the emphasis is placed on movement: each
sentence must peel back a new layer that was not visible at first.
3 Characteristics of Flash Fiction
Flash fiction stories share a number of common characteristics.

 Brevity. Flash fiction compresses an entire story into the space of a few paragraphs.
There is no defined word count for flash fiction, but some commonly used word limits in
flash fiction range from just six words on the short end to around 1,000 words on the
longer end.
 A complete plot. A flash fiction story is indeed a story, with a beginning. Middle, and
end. This sets it apart from a prose poem or vignette, which can explore an emotion,
memory, or thought without a plot.
 Surprise. Great flash fiction often incorporates surprise, usually in the form Of a twist
ending or an unexpected last line. This is not a gimmick: the aim is to prompt the reader
to think deeply about the true meaning of the story.

Origin of Flash Fiction

Flash fiction dates back to the time of fables and parables. The form was popularized in the
nineteenth century by writers like Walt Whitman, Kate Chopin, and Ambrose Bierce. Perhaps
the best-known flash fiction story is from this time (although frequently misattributed to Ernest
Hemingway). The entire story is six words long:
*For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”
The amount of emotion packed into these words inspired many writers to try their hand at the
genre. In the 1980s, Robert Shepard and James Thomas published a set of anthologies of flash
fiction called Sudden Fiction, which spurred another resurgence of the form. Another highly
influential anthology was Flash Fiction, published in 1992 by W. W. Norton. It features 72 flash
fiction stories and was edited by Tom Hazuka, Denise Thomas, and James Thomas.
12) Blog. Short for “web log”, a blog is a discussion or informational website published on the
World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries. It is an online
journal displaying information on the reverse chronological order, with the latest posts
appearing first. It is a platform where a writer or even a group of writers share their views on an
individual subject.