Humans have been writing down stories for about 4000 years - we've been telling them around the campfire for even longer. It seems fair to say that literature is, perhaps, central to the human experience.

Whether it is drama, poetry, fiction, or any other literary form where meaning is crafted through the use of intentional authorial choices, literature helps us to make sense of our lives and the world that we live in - as well as worlds beyond our own!

On the following pages, you will see a variety of writers and works from different times and places, but who all can all shine a light on the human condition. You will also learn key skills that will help you analyse these works.