Reviews

THE ROUTLEDGE COMPANION TO LITERATURES AND CRISIS

Edited by Silvia Pellicer-Ortín, Julia Kuznetski and Chiara Battisti

Routledge, 2025

<https://doi.org/10.26754/ojs_misc/mj.2025 11894>

CRISTINA DE LOS RÍOS MARTÍN

Universidad de Zaragoza

cdelosrios@unizar.es

<https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6603-0306>

Crisis has become a defining framework of our times (Han 2024). In a world

characterised by global turmoil, literature has consistently surfaced as both a

mirror of the proliferation of crises and a catalyst for change. Within this context,

The Routledge Companion to Literatures and Crisis, edited by Silvia Pellicer-Ortín,

Julia Kuznetski and Chiara Battisti, examines the role of literature in both recording

and responding to different crises from a wide range of disciplines and perspectives.

First published in 2025, this substantial volume presents a compelling and timely

account of literature’s enduring significance in times of crisis. The editors’

combined expertise ensures a broad yet interconnected approach to the

intersections between literatures and crisis. Considering the globalised and

interconnected nature of the world, the volume acknowledges an impressive array

of cultural and academic perspectives. In fact, one of the strengths of the collection

is the comprehensive approach of the 42 chapters, highlighting the varying impacts

of crises depending on their geographical and historical context.

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The volume opens with an introduction that contextualises the subject matter. The

terms polycrisis and permacrisis immerse readers in the landscape of contemporary

crises. The former refers to multiple crises affecting our current society, such as the

COVID-19 pandemic or the climate emergency, and the latter describes a state of

prolonged instability. Both concepts reflect the complex, interconnected and

persistent nature of contemporary global challenges, depicting how crises are not

isolated disruptions, but long-term, overlapping systemic problems. The

introduction also provides insight into the intrinsic complexities of the word crisis.

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It does so by first addressing its etymology, and second by considering its meaning

in other languages, with a focus on Chinese, mainly due to the particularly nuanced

understanding of crisis in this language as both “danger” and a “crucial point”.

This linguistic approach concludes that it is imperative to understand the term as

both a critical point and a transformative force. This initial opening framework also

introduces essential terms and fields of study, for instance, visibility, relationality

and vulnerability. Visibility is addressed in terms of focusing on both large- and

small-scale crises as well as taking diverse cultural and historical perspectives into

account. Relationality is also a recurring concept, as crises are best understood

when considered as part of an interconnected whole, rather than focusing on

single or seemingly unrelated events. Relationality is actually highlighted by the

notion of vulnerability; drawing from Butler, lives are not seen as isolated, but

interwoven with the lives of others (2012: 141). In times of crisis, this

interdependency is naturally highlighted, as the condition of being vulnerable

makes us turn to each other for support.

The volume is structured into two well-defined parts. Part I, Addressing crises

through literature, encapsulates the theory and genre analysis that frame the

representation of crisis in literature. Part II, Crises in literatures across the world,

explores how crises manifest across different cultural and historical contexts,

through the analysis of case studies. The first two chapters of Part I.I, Theoretical

approaches to crises, authored by Jean‐Michel Ganteau and Susana Onega,

respectively, set a strong foundation for the volume, highlighting the essential role

of literature in representing and addressing crisis. Ganteau’s chapter addresses

pressing issues, such as time, visibility and vulnerability, which are further explored

and developed throughout the volume. With the example of contemporary British

fiction in general, and the genre of climate fiction in particular, Ganteau contends

that literature enables time to slow down. This is particularly relevant in the current

fast-paced society, where time-saving technologies paradoxically coexist with a

widespread sense of urgency. Onega’s chapter further reveals the ethical role of

literature in not only helping readers process crises, but also encouraging an active

engagement. She also highlights literature’s potential to represent unrepresentable

events. The argument that crises are understood through their relationship with

past events is also particularly insightful, as it underscores the role of relationality

in shaping contemporary responses to crisis, which is also dealt with in later

chapters. The next three chapters delve into theoretical considerations on

contemporary crises of war, violence, migration and terrorism. Michael C. Frank

(Chapter 3) focuses on the discourse employed by contemporary political narratives

when dealing with the war on terror, drawing attention to the mechanisms through

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which events are presented selectively. Merve Sarikaya‐Şen (Chapter 4) focuses on

migration, offering a theoretical background on the term and approaching crises

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as thresholds, in the sense that they are both dividing and connecting forces, an

idea that deeply resonates with the meaning of crisis as both a critical moment and

an opportunity, stated in the introduction and echoed throughout the volume.

Also dealing with migration, Sue Vice (Chapter 5) effectively highlights the

tensions between migration and forced displacement. Refugee literature is analysed

in terms of how it challenges traditional narrative structures, emphasising hybrid

forms that deepen our understanding of the representation of crises in literature.

Chapter 6, co-authored by Lisa Baraitser and Laura Salisbury, provides a theoretical

linkage between crisis and care, emphasising collective interdependence and

relational temporalities. Chapter 7, by Gala Arias Rubio, serves as a conclusion for

the first section, offering a thought-provoking theoretical discussion on climate

crisis and its historical representation in literature. It identifies “propositive

narratives” as an emerging narrative form focused on climate change, arguing that,

unlike other narratives that concentrate mostly on apocalyptic views, this form

offers a fresh perspective on climate discourse, highlighting a hopeful vision that is

significantly evoked throughout the volume.

The next section, I.II Literary genres and crises, sheds light on the different forms

and genres through which crisis can be represented and engaged. Paul Majkut

(Chapter 8) focuses on mediaeval and Renaissance drama and the way it has

historically engaged with different physical, spiritual and moral crises. This specific

focus brings our attention to how past crises still resonate with contemporary

struggles. Ivan Armstrong turns to poetry in Chapter 9, underscoring this genre’s

capacity to transcend time and space when capturing and evoking crises. Non-

fiction is addressed in chapters 10 and 11 by Silvia Pellicer-Ortín and Julia

Kuznetski, respectively. The former offers a historical overview of life-writing

narratives, connecting them to the concept of crisis, and reflects on concepts, such

as scriptotherapy or the paradigm of Transmodernity, which provide valuable

perspectives when reframing crisis as a transformative opportunity. Kuznetski’s

chapter addresses how women writers use the essay form to engage with crucial

issues in our society, such as the climate emergency, technology and AI or systemic

inequalities. Chapter 12, by Chiara Battisti, delves into the visual form of graphic

narratives, providing a broad and accurate account of the gutter —the space left

between panels— highlighting its role in both making the reader engaged with the

story and evoking the fragmentation brought about by crisis. In a similar line, Ieva

Astahovska explores visual forms in Chapter 13, particularly the role of art in

addressing burning issues such as the climate crisis, by looking at artistic works

that convey, for instance, the disappearance of native plants. The first part of the

volume concludes with Chapter 14, in which Raphael Kabo looks at science fiction,

described as a defining form for crisis, addressing issues such as capitalist expansion,

ecological collapse and neoliberal alienation.

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The second part of the volume is divided into three sections, the first of which —

II.I, Political and ideological crises in a historical perspective— delves into how

literature has played a role in articulating, challenging and influencing different

politics and ideologies. Fabio Forner (Chapter 15) focuses on 15^thcentury

literature to address its potential when mediating political tensions, especially

through rhetorical skills. Harvey Wiltshire (Chapter 16) highlights how

Shakespeare’s plays subtly engage with the Elizabethan succession crisis at a time

when open discussion of the issue was forbidden. Ian Ward (Chapter 17), also

drawing on Shakespeare’s oeuvre, examines how depictions of Elizabeth Sawyer’s

case and Shakespeare’s portrayal of witches in Jacobean England contributed to

the intensification of the demonic crisis during the period. Paul Majkut (Chapter

18) discusses how crises in 1666, proclaimed as the annus mirabilis by John

Dryden, led to a transformation in literary production and a more realistic and

naturalistic writing style. Leif Dahlberg (Chapter 19) analyses the literary

production of the Myrdals and how their rhetorical construction of crisis

contributed to shaping political arguments. Lastly, Robert Eaglestone (Chapter

20) examines the influence of the UK’s Brexit-driven polarisation in literature,

ultimately underscoring how writing can become a polarised medium itself, as it

may reflect deepening divides.

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The next section, II.II War, migration and violence, examines these intertwined

themes and their pervasive presence from different forms and cultural perspectives.

Eva Pérez Rodríguez (Chapter 21) provides a broad historical overview of the

representation of war in the context of the British Isles. Emrah Atasoy (Chapter

22) turns to Turkish speculative fiction, linking gender inequality and domestic

violence to the environment and the climate crisis. Helena Duffy (Chapter 23)

explores the representation of the Holocaust in French literature, focusing on the

ambivalent trope of the dog to reflect both humanisation and dehumanisation.

Film narratives are also included when exploring war and violence in literature, in

this case with Cecilia Beecher’s take on the film Belfast (Chapter 24). Ilya Kukulin

(Chapter 25) underscores the profound impact of state politics on Russophone

literature, particularly following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Finally, Piret

Viires (Chapter 26) explores war in Estonian literature, focusing on different

genres, such as punk poetry and the novel, among which the striking case of Leo

Kunnas’s novel War 2023 (2016) could be highlighted, as it eerily predicted

elements of Russia’s future aggression.

The third section, II.III Values and identity crises, explores the intersections of

these issues across diverse cultural and political contexts. Ksenia Shmydkaya

(Chapter 27) highlights the tension between utopian idealism and the practical

realities of achieving such ideals. Noelia Núñez (Chapter 28) turns to limit-case

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texts and media narratives dealing with the profound impact of the COVID-19

pandemic on domestic violence and its representations in Spanish literature.

Alexander Dmitriev (Chapter 29) explores the complex relationship between

cultural memory and national identity in Ukraine and Russia, especially in the

context of the ongoing war, and the narratives that shape each nation’s identity.

Ivan Stacy (Chapter 30) examines contemporary Chinese literature through the

lens of affective crisis, drawing attention to literary representations of liminal states

of consciousness. The liminality of consciousness evokes the notion of the

threshold, already mentioned, and further developed in the next chapters and

beyond. Izabel Brandão (Chapter 31) puts Brazilian women writers in the

spotlight, examining heterotopic novels that approach the body as a border. The

next two chapters by Bárbara Arizti (Chapter 32) and Eugenia Ossana (Chapter

33) focus on environmental injustice and Indigenous peoples’ perspectives. Arizti

draws attention to hopeful ongoing transformations in the context of Australia,

mainly based on the paradigm of Transmodernity, as well as contemporary

Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian writing. Ossana’s analysis delves into

African novels, intertwining historical and metaphysical tensions that challenge

Western historical narratives.

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Section II.IV, Environmental crises and biopolitics, is dedicated specifically to this

pressing and urgent topic. Markku Lehtimäki (Chapter 34) reflects on the

relevance of emerging forms that echo real (digital) communication as it is today,

for instance, texts that simulate emails or social media feeds. Other crucial issues

like biopolitics, gestational surrogacy and obstetric violence are dealt with by

Antonia Navarro Tejero in Chapter 35. Through the analysis of literary depictions

of these questions, the essay foregrounds how the intersecting forces of colonialism,

capitalism, caste and patriarchy have shaped, and continue to shape, the experiences

of marginalised women. Gender issues are also the focal point of Keitaro Morita

(Chapter 36), whose case study analysis through the perspective of transecology

offers a timely contribution to this emerging field. By linking environmental crises

with the systemic marginalisation of trans bodies, this chapter effectively challenges

heteronormative and cisgendered assumptions that keep shaping ecological

narratives in the Anthropocene.

Finally, section II.V, Technological crises and posthumanism, winds up the second

and final part of the volume, exploring the entanglements between humanity,

technology and crisis. Amy Chan Kit‐Sze (Chapter 37) interestingly connects

posthumanity with Chinese mythology. The reflection of the contrasting views and

understandings between China and the West regarding technology is particularly

insightful, as it reinforces the argument that no single cultural or ideological

perspective should dominate global discourse. Ivan Callus (Chapter 38) focuses on

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speculative fiction, vulnerability and dystopia through the trope of the last man.

He contends that the case study can be considered a foundational work that

reshapes posthuman thought, and ultimately, literary understandings of crisis.

Dystopian reflections are also the focus of Sidia Fiorato (Chapter 39), who

connects the events in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four to the current

suppression of writing (and thought) caused by AI, mainly the generative

technology ChatGPT. Daniela Carpi (Chapter 40) also addresses advanced

technology and its infinite possibilities through varied forms, contending that

literature facilitates our understanding and acceptance of the inevitable transition

towards posthumanity. Lastly, AI concerns are also addressed in the last two

chapters. Paula Carbone (Chapter 41) describes an actual experiment conducted

at university level to explore the use of ChatGPT to work with literature and

narrative texts. Additionally, Anders Hedman (Chapter 42) concentrates on certain

reactions to AI that advocate for its deceleration and reconsideration through a

“Pause Letter”. Through a rhetorical analysis of the arguments posed in these

reactions, the essay elucidates misconceptions and fallacies, reiterating the need to

approach and use AI critically and responsibly.

In conclusion, The Routledge Companion on Literatures and Crisis sheds light on

the multifarious connections between literature and crisis. Presenting a thorough

theoretical framework and a wide variety of case studies, it brings together a diverse

range of perspectives on the literary representation of crisis that contribute to

ongoing debates about the relationship between literature and crisis, such as that

of Lauren Berlant. More specifically, Berlant examines the way intimate tensions

shape social existence, what is referred to as “the ordinary biopower” (2022: 19),

highlighting how literature represents the complexities of living together amidst

inconvenience and ambivalence. As for the relevance of this companion, one of its

strengths lies in the nature of the text: it provides a comprehensive overview of the

field of literature and crisis, mapping key debates, methodologies and future

directions and consolidating heterogeneous strands of research into an accessible

and coherent framework. Another notable strength of the volume is the exploration

of both large- and small-scale crises from a wide transcultural perspective, using

several methodologies and literary forms. In fact, another key contribution is the

inclusion of multiple forms of literature, including innovative forms such as digital

media texts. Even if the focus on these emerging narratives is not very extensive, it

still allows for a thorough analysis of the way literature shapes and is shaped by

crisis, also setting ground for further research. Moreover, while the volume

addresses literature and crisis across a wide temporal scope, future works could

narrow their focus to specific historical periods, which would allow for a deeper

analysis of the topic. Lastly, another relevant insight of the volume is its focus on

hopeful views when facing moments of crisis. This envisioning of possible ways out

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of crisis becomes essential in our current context, as hope is what links and

reconciles humanity (Han 2024: 29). Collectively, the volume constitutes a

detailed and comprehensive reference that makes a highly relevant and original

contribution to the academic investigation of crisis and its representation in

different literatures. Thus, it will undoubtedly attract literary scholars in general,

and those working on encompassing fields of study in particular, for instance,

cultural and trauma studies, postcolonialism, ecocriticism and ecofeminism, among

others.

Acknowledgements

Research for this review was funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

and by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER, EU) (code PID2021-

124841NB-I00), together with the Government of Aragón and the European

Social Fund (ESF) (code H03_23R).

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Works Cited

BerlAnt, Lauren. 2022. On the Inconvenience of Other People. Duke U.P.

Butler, Judith. 2012. “Precarious Life, Vulnerability, and the Ethics of Cohabitation”. The Journal

of Speculative Philosophy 26 (2): 134-151. <https://doi.org/10.5325/jspecphil.26.2.0134>

hAn, Byung-Chul. 2024. El espíritu de la esperanza. Trans. A. Ciria. Herder Editorial.

Received: 26/05/2025

Accepted: 06/10/2025

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

miscelánea 72 (2025): pp. 237-243 ISSN: 1137-6368 e-ISSN: 2386-4834