# World Literature
Confidence: high
Last verified: 2026-05-22
Generation: ai_assisted


## TL;DR

World literature encompasses literary works from all cultures and periods, emphasizing cross-cultural exchange and universal themes. Key works beyond Western canon: The Tale of Genji (Murasaki Shikibu, ~1000, Japan — first novel), One Thousand and One Nights, Epic of Gilgamesh (~2100 BCE, oldest known literature), Mahabharata (India, longest epic poem).

## Core Explanation

Tale of Genji: Heian court life, psychological depth centuries before Western novel. 1001 Nights: frame story — Scheherazade tells tales to avoid death. Things Fall Apart (Achebe, 1958): African perspective on colonialism. García Márquez: One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) — magical realism. Haruki Murakami: Kafka on the Shore — Japanese surrealism. Nobel Prize in Literature (1901+): international recognition. Rushdie: Midnight's Children (1981) — postcolonial narrative.

## Further Reading

- [The Norton Anthology of World Literature](https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393602814)