Scandinavian Literature

The Dictionary of Scandinavian Literature is the only English-language work of its kind. Unlike literary handbooks that cover a single literature, the dictionary covers the literature of the five Nordic countries from the Icelandic sagas to authors active in the 1980s. In addition to 380 individual entries, the volume includes lengthier essays on topics ranging from Inuit Literature to Scandinavian Studies in North America and Britain. Many of the topical articles are unique in that no systematic English-language treatment of the topic has previously appeared in print. Each entry concludes with a list of references and, in the case of author entries, a list of the author's works in the original as well as in English translation. For use in public libraries, small college libraries, as well as larger research libraries, the Dictionary of Scandinavian Literature is a reference tool for the nonspecialist and specialist alike. The bibliographies appended to every article will be of value to students looking for up-to-date secondary literature on an author or a topic, and the listings of English translations should be useful to instructors who teach courses of Scandinavian Literature in English Translation.

The literature of Scandinavia is amazingly rich and varied, consisting of the works produced by the countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, and stretching from the ancient Norse Sagas to the present day. While much of it is unknown outside of the region, some has gained worldwide popularity, including the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, the stories of Isak Dinesen, and the plays of Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg. While obviously including the area's most famous works, the Historical Dictionary of Scandinavian Literature and Theater also provides information on lesser known authors and current trends, literary circles and journals, and historical background. This is accomplished through a list of acronyms, a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and several hundred cross-referenced dictionary entries, which together make this reference the most comprehensive and up to date work of its kind related to Scandinavian literature and theater available anywhere.