Introduction: The rise of the world author from the death of world literature

What is a âworld author,❠and where can we find one within the various methodological approaches that underpin the academic study of âworld literatureâ? In these pages, and by way of an introduction to the essays on âworld authorship and German literature❠that follow, I reflect on what some of the most basic terms underpinning any study of literature and its significance â script, text, author, world â might mean in the context of ongoing globalizing trends and changing notions of value and political and ethical accountability in the literary marketplace. These general thoughts are channelled through a specific focus on German literature and how it fares within these frames.What is a âworld author,❠and where can we find one within the various methodological approaches that underpin the academic study of âworld literatureâ? In these pages, and by way of an introduction to the essays on âworld authorship and German literature❠that follow, I reflect on what some of the most basic terms underpinning any study of literature and its significance â script, text, author, world â might mean in the context of ongoing globalizing trends and changing notions of value and political and ethical accountability in the literary marketplace. These general thoughts are channelled through a specific focus on German literature and how it fares within these frames.