Hype: Bestsellers & Literary Culture - Softcover

Best-sellers are the books that sell well, are read by large numbers of people, and are widely talked about in the media and among readers. Yet there has been little research on the creation, reception, and cultural and social significance of best-sellers. Recognising that popular narratives play an important role in the lives of millions of readers, this book looks closely at the literature so many people read. As global market phenomena, situated in between the power spheres of producers and consumers, best-sellers also highlight the interdependency of culture, market, and the individual. This volume addresses such diverse questions as the creation of hype, the role and the meaning of the author in the present-day media landscape, changes in the book trade, historical perspectives on best-selling literature, and the relationship between best-sellers and literary research.

Jon Helgason is an editor of the dictionary from the Swedish Academy and a researcher in comparative literature at Lund University. He is a coeditor of Women's Language: An Analysis of Style and Expression in Letters Before 1800. Sara K rrholm is associate professor in literature and publishing studies at Lund University, Sweden. Her research has mainly been performed within literary studies with an interdisciplinary approach concerning popular literature, specifically crime fiction, and children's literature. Ann Steiner is a lecturer in literary studies and publishing studies at Lund University in Sweden. Her research focuses mainly on contemporary book trade as well as the relationship between literature and digital technology. She is a coeditor of Interdisciplinary Approaches to Twilight.