ABSTRACT
Within Britain, literature enjoys a reputation as the most prestigious of arts. Some of the world’s most illustrious authors, such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf, have established a long and distinguished tradition which is internationally recognised and widely praised. Their works are extensively studied in schools, colleges and universities in Britain and around the world. They are also the subject of frequent adaptations into films, television series and plays for theatre and radio.
