role in the lives of millions of readers, Hype Bestsellers and Literary Culture looks closely at the literature so many people read. As global market phenomena, situated in between the power spheres of producers and consumers, bestsellers also highlight the interdependency of culture, market, and the individual. This volume addresses such diverse questions as the creation of hype, the role and the meaning of the author in the presentday media landscape, changes in the book trade, historical perspectives on bestselling literature, and the relationship between bestsellers and literary research.