Library Guides: English and Theatre Studies: Reference sources

General reference sources

Oxford Reference
English dictionaries and thesauri, bilingual dictionaries, quotations, maps and illustrations, timelines, encyclopedias and subject references. Subjects include archaeology, art, architecture, literature, linguistics, history, names studies, classics, performing arts, media studies, music, philosophy, politics, social sciences.

A dictionary of writers and their works / by Christopher Riches and Michael Cox (editors)
Publication Date: 2015

Focuses on the general canon of British literature from the fifteenth-century to the present. There is also some coverage of non-fiction such as biographies, memoirs, and science, as well as inclusion of major American and Commonwealth writers.
The Cambridge Companion to World Literature / by Ben Etherington and Jarad Zimbler
Publication Date: 2018

Fundamental issues and concepts in world literature; how literary production is affected by forces such as imperialism and globalization; original analyses of genres and forms, ranging from tragedy to the novel and graphic fiction, lyric poetry to the short story and world cinema.
An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory / by Andrew Bennett; Nicholas Royle
Publication Date: 2023

An essential guide to literary studies now in its sixth edition, this textbook successfully illuminates complex ideas by engaging directly with literary works. In addition to further reading sections at the end of each chapter, contains a comprehensive bibliography and a glossary of key literary terms.
An Introduction to Literary Studies / by Mario Klarer
Publication Date: 2024

A concise and accessible discussion of central issues in English and world literature. Includes analysis of major genres, major periods, and key theoretical approaches to literature. Covers the practicalities of finding and referencing literature and writing a research paper.
The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism / by Vincent B. Leitch; William E. Cain; Laurie A. Finke; John McGowan; T. Denean Sharpley-Whiting; Jeffrey Williams
Publication Date: 2018

The gold standard anthology for anyone who wants to understand the development and current state of literary theory. Comprehensive and varied, it offers 191 pieces by 157 authors.

English literature

The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature / by Dinah Birch and Katy Hooper
Publication Date: 2012

Based on the bestselling Oxford Companion to English Literature, this is an indispensable, compact guide to all aspects of English literature. Over 5,500 new and revised A to Z entries give unrivalled coverage of writers, works, historical context, literary theory, allusions, characters, and plot summaries.
The Norton Anthology of English Literature, the Major Authors / by Stephen Greenblatt
Publication Date: 2018

The most-trusted and best-selling anthology continues to set the bar with a vibrant revision of the Major Authors Edition. Major Authors offers new complete major works, new contemporary writers, and new dynamic and convenient digital resources.
The Palgrave Handbook of Philosophy and Literature / by Barry Stocker and Michael Mack
Publication Date: 2018

This comprehensive handbook presents the major perspectives on the relations, overlaps and tensions between philosophy and literature. It is an ideal volume for researchers and students in philosophy, literary studies, cultural studies, classical studies and other related fields.

Australian literature

Australian Dictionary of Biography (ADB)
The Australian Dictionary of Biography is Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. In it you will find concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.

Australian literature, 1788-1914 / by Selina Samuels (Editor)
Publication Date: 2000

This award-winning multi-volume series is dedicated to making literature and its creators better understood and more accessible to students and interested readers, while satisfying the standards of librarians, teachers and scholars.
Australian Writers, 1915-1950 / by Selina Samuels (Editor)
Publication Date: 2002

This award-winning multi-volume series is dedicated to making literature and its creators better understood and more accessible to students and interested readers, while satisfying the standards of librarians, teachers and scholars.
Australian writers, 1950-1975 / by Selina Samuels (Editor)
Publication Date: 2003

This award-winning multi-volume series is dedicated to making literature and its creators better understood and more accessible to students and interested readers, while satisfying the standards of librarians, teachers and scholars.
Australian Writers, 1975-2000 / by Selina Samuels (Editor)
Publication Date: 2006

This award-winning multi-volume series is dedicated to making literature and its creators better understood and more accessible to students and interested readers, while satisfying the standards of librarians, teachers and scholars.

American literature

The Concise Oxford Companion to American Literature / by James D. Hart (Editor)
ISBN: 0195039823

Publication Date: 1986

Contains brief biographies of important authors, plot summaries of individual works, descriptions of important literary movements, and information on other aspects of American literary life and history from the Colonial period to the modern era.
The Norton Anthology of American Literature / by Nina Baym et al
Publication Date: 2011

A diverse range of voices and major works representing the enormous variety of American literature. Teaching clusters in every volume enable instructors to focus on a dynamic theme while exploring a group of short, related texts.
Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American Literature / by Anne Marie Hacht; Dwayne D. Hayes
Publication Date: 2009

Aiming to offer a comprehensive view of how an author's work fits within the context of the author's life, historical events, and the literary world, this set includes some 500 writers.

Theatre Studies

Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre / by Colin Chambers (Editor)
Publication Date: 2004

This work details practical topics such as directing, acting, design, lighting, sound, voice, wig and prop-making, to historical surveys raging from black theatre to gay and lesbian theatre; from pantomime, experimental theatre, theatre-in-the-round to architecture, funding, drag and circus.
Major Modern Dramatists / by Rita Stein (Editor)
ISBN: 0804432678

Publication Date: 1984

v. 1. American, British, Irish, German, Austrian, and Swiss dramatists. v. 2. Norwegian, Swedish, French, Belgian, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Czech, Hungarian, and Polish dramatists.
The Oxford Companion to Theatre and Performance / by Dennis Kennedy
Publication Date: 2010

an accessible yet authoritative A-Z with particularly strong coverage of actors, playwrights, directors, and designers, as well as the styles, organizations, and movements.
The Routledge Dictionary of Performance and Contemporary Theatre / by Patrice Pavis
Publication Date: 2016

What we think of as 'performance' and 'drama' has undergone a transformation in recent decades. Patrice Pavis's Dictionary provides an indispensible roadmap for this complex and fascinating terrain; a volume no theatre bookshelf can afford to be without.
Travel and Drama in Early Modern England / by Claire Jowitt and David McInnis (Editors)
Publication Date: 2018

This collection of essays by world-leading scholars redefines the field by expanding the canon of recognized plays concerned with travel. Re-assessing the parameters of the genre, the chapters offer fresh perspectives on how these plays communicated with their audiences and readers.