The consortium between the universities of Tampere, Turku and Helsinki studies the impact of social media on 21st-century literature and authors. The contemporary story economy prompts everyone to share their story and rewards for dramatic stories of change and survival, encouraging also literary authors to seek attention with their personal story. Literature is no longer an autonomous sphere allowing for artistic freedom, but instead influenced by digital storytelling platforms. Authors become influencers whose brand ought to reflect sound moral and political commitments. We analyse how 24 authors in 10 European countries deal with the pressures imposed by the story economy in their literary and non-literary texts and analyse the social media responses evoked by these authors with digital methods. We help authors, media actors, publishers and audiences to analytically and critically revision the future of literature.

2024

2028