Reference works for Comparative literature and cultural studies

Dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories and yearbooks are useful for definitions of terms and for brief factual information. The following is a selection of resources held by the library, please search the catalogue for additional works. Additional resources are also listed on the English literature reference works page.

General works

• A-Z guide to modern literary and cultural theorists
• Columbia dictionary of modern literary and cultural criticism
• Dictionary of writers and their works
• Encyclopedia of world literature in the 20^th century
• Handbook of Literary Research
• A handbook to literature
• Key sources in comparative and world literature : an annotated guide to reference materials
• Literary research guide : an annotated listing of reference sources in English literary studies
• Oxford guide to literature in English translation
• Recent work in critical theory 1989-1995
• Reference guide to world literature
• Research in critical theory since 1965 : a classified bibliography
• Routledge companion to critical theory
• Timetables of world literature
• Yearbook of comparative and general literature
• other dictionaries and encyclopedias
• Gale Literary Series (including: Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Theory, Literary Theory from 1400-1800, Twentieth Century Literary criticism) is indexed in the Literary Index

Literary terminology

• A Glossary of Literary Terms.
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms
• Dictionary of literary terms and literary theory
• Johns Hopkins guide to literary theory and criticism

Biography

• American national biography (links to DNB where authors are represented in both publications)
• Contemporary authors
• Oxford dictionary of national biography (DNB)

Check the catalogue for other reference works covering poetry, theatre, literary periods, individual authors etc.

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