What is literature?

As most of us are from or work at public libraries, we tend to define literature in the context we are in or familiar with. So it could be simply the written works of imaginative creativity such as novels, poems and dramas etc.

Then what about the journal articles we read while we do tertiary studies? Aren't they called research literature? What about many patrons who have no idea where our fiction collection is and only read non-fictions? Is non-fiction non-literature? What qualities do these different types of literatre share? What is the difference between them? I am and will be thinking over these questions above through the course?

For convenience sake for the moment, I would like to define literature as all the written works of lasting value that are created to be read by others in order to communicate and converse ideas and feeling and tell stories, which help readers to make sense of their world.

I think the concept of "lasting value" in literature is not about physical survival of a written work but more about the written work having ideas of universal interest that attract readers through the time. I believe the concept Julie mentioned about--timeless quality in literature is also in the same context.

You may have the same reading experience as I do. The group of books called classics still relate to us. Whether it is the theme, the writing style,the art of lauguage or thoughtful/interesting characterisation, they still give us a pure joy of reading, make us think, nod, smile and often cry.

Quite recently, I read Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days on my e-reader and I enjoyed the book so much I downloaded all Jules Verne's work, of course except for French versions, from the Project Gutenberg. Good written works survive the test of time as well as the rapid change of technology including the media of reading. It is fascinating to think Jules Verne's books on space, air and underwater travel, all written before practical means of transport for them were invented, still attract readers and are even made into movies.

To the question what makes a written work become literature, I can say out loud its "lasting value" and timelessness.