21st Century Literature

World Literature
Refers to any written literary genre that exemplifies the most outstanding characteristics
of particular national literatures. It is harder to define and only few regional or national writers can
also be classified as belonging to world literature.

Elements of World Literature

Tackles universal theme to which wider audiences/readers can relate or identify with.

 Love and romance

 Family and marriages
 Individual struggle towards success (Cinderella and underdog stories)
 Humanitarian values
 Coping with tragedy (wars, famines, disasters, etc.)
 Life cycles

21st Century World Literature

Refers to any written literary genre that were written, printed and published from the start
of the new millennium.

 With the advanced technology of this new era, most of the themes are oriented for the
youth and young professional audiences and thus the proliferation of vampires, sorcery,
space and science fiction.
 Blogging (weblog) has been invented as an online/digital form of journaling topics, events
and experiences.

English World Literature

William Shakespeare (England)

 Was a poet and playwright considered as “The Father of the Modern English Language”.
He is credited for pioneering the couplet and the Shakespearean sonnet style.

Shakespeare and Modern Dramas

 Today, in any part of the globe, people are addicted to English soap operas, Hispanic
telenovelas and Koreanovelas. But it can be rightfully said that with his 37 plays tackling
any topic under the sun (most popular = Romeo and Juliet), Shakespeare invented all of
these modern dramas that entertain TV and movie audiences nowadays.
French World Literature
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 Was an aristocrat, pilot, poet and writer whose novella “The Little Prince” is now a much
loved classic extolling the virtues of love, inner beauty and friendship. This novella is the
source of the famous quote: “one sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is
invisible to the eyes.”

African World Literature

Nelson Mandela

 Was imprisoned for decades during the apartheid (racial segregation by classes). But after
his release, he became the president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. All of his struggles
can be read in his autobiography/memoir “Long Walk to Freedom.”

Asian World Literature

Rabindranath Tagore (India)

 Was the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913 for his book anthology of
more than a hundred Bengali verses, the Gitanjali (Song of Offerings). It is incomparable
for the beauty of its imagery as a form of devotion to God and in appreciation for the
wonders of nature.

Mexican World Literature

Octavio Paz

 Was a diplomat, poet and writer who won the Miguel de Cervantes Prize (1980) and the
Nobel Prize (1990) for literary excellence. His poem Piedra del Sol (Sunstone) is cited by
the critics for its unique surrealist style, while his anthology of essays “The Labyrinth of
Solitude” is noteworthy for its profound and deep analysis of Mexican society.

American World Literature

Ernest Hemingway

 Was a popular short story writer and novelist who as a war journalist wrote firsthand
accounts of both WW1 and WW2. Farewell to Arms recounts the former, while For Whom
the Bell Tolls depicts the latter. The Old Man and the Sea won for him both the Pulitzer
(1953) and the Nobel (1954) awards for literary excellence.

Russian World Literature

Anton Chekhov

 Was a Russian physician, playwright and writer who according to experts is one of the
greatest in the short story genre. Two of his last works were The Cherry Orchard, which
tackles social change, and A Marriage Proposal, which explores courtship and marriage
both with a touch of humor and comedy that amuses audiences.

21st Century World Literature

Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)

 Is a doctor turned novelist who has produced three best sellers in the past decade: The
Kite Runner (2003), A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007), and And The Mountains Echoed
(2013). He is one of the few millennial authors who still continue to tackle universal themes
as his novels are set in war-torn Afghanistan and depict war’s impact on families and
society.

Mexican 21st Century World Literature

Laura Esquivel

 Her works for the new millennium are Between Two Fires (2000) and La Maliche (2006).
The former is an anthology of essays on life, love and food, while the latter is a time travel
adventure with La Maliche traveling back in time Hernan Cortez’ ancient Mexico.

American 21st Century World Literature

Kate DeCamillo (USA)

 2006 young adult novel The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane won The Boston Globe
and the Parent’s Choice Awards. It was catapulted to fame anew after being featured
many times in the koreanovela, My Love From Another Star most especially this quote: “If
you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the while journey is pointless.”