In the age of globalization, the category of "World Literature" is increasingly important to academic teaching and research. The Routledge Companion to World Literature offers a comprehensive pathway into this burgeoning and popular field.

Separated into four key sections, the volume covers:

• the history of World Literature through significant writers and theorists from Goethe to Said, Casanova and Moretti
• the disciplinary relationship of World Literature to areas such as philology, translation, globalization and diaspora studies
• theoretical issues in World Literature including gender, politics and ethics
• a global perspective on the politics of World Literature.

The forty-eight outstanding contributors to this companion offer an ideal introduction to those approaching the field for the first time, or looking to further their knowledge of this extensive field.