BISAC Subject Headings List

Literary Criticism

Use the information provided here to determine the specific codes that describe your book. An asterisk (*) denotes a new heading for the current year’s edition. Not sure how to select your code? Check out our FAQ.

If you can't find the code you're looking for after reviewing all the pages below, we recommend you use whatever codes currently best represent your book. If you want to propose a new code for future BISAC additions, you can submit a suggestion here.

To download and incorporate this list into your databases and systems, you’ll need to purchase an End Users' License Agreement.

LITERARY CRITICISM

Works of literary criticism should be assigned subjects in this section only and not assigned subjects in sections designed for works written in a specific literary form (e.g., DRAMA). Criticism of drama, poetry, or children's literature should be assigned "LITERARY CRITICISM / Drama", "LITERARY CRITICISM / Poetry" or "LITERARY CRITICISM / Children's & Young Adult Literature", respectively, along with any other subjects needed in this section. Criticism of certain genres of fiction is also represented.

LIT000000	LITERARY CRITICISM / General
LIT004010	LITERARY CRITICISM / African
LIT004020	LITERARY CRITICISM / American / General
LIT004040	LITERARY CRITICISM / American / African American & Black
LIT004030	LITERARY CRITICISM / American / Asian American & Pacific Islander
LIT004050	LITERARY CRITICISM / American / Hispanic & Latino
LIT023000	LITERARY CRITICISM / American / Regional
LIT004190	LITERARY CRITICISM / Ancient & Classical
LIT008000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Asian / General
LIT008010	LITERARY CRITICISM / Asian / Chinese
LIT008020	LITERARY CRITICISM / Asian / Indic
LIT008030	LITERARY CRITICISM / Asian / Japanese
LIT004070	LITERARY CRITICISM / Australian & Oceanian
LIT007000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Books & Reading
LIT004080	LITERARY CRITICISM / Canadian
LIT004100	LITERARY CRITICISM / Caribbean & Latin American
	LITERARY CRITICISM / Central American & South American see Caribbean & Latin American
LIT009000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Children's & Young Adult Literature
	LITERARY CRITICISM / Classical see Ancient & Classical
LIT017000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Comics & Graphic Novels
LIT020000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Comparative Literature
LIT013000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Drama
LIT004130	LITERARY CRITICISM / European / General
LIT004110	LITERARY CRITICISM / European / Eastern (see also Russian & Soviet)
LIT004120	LITERARY CRITICISM / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh
LIT004150	LITERARY CRITICISM / European / French
LIT004170	LITERARY CRITICISM / European / German
LIT004200	LITERARY CRITICISM / European / Italian
LIT004250	LITERARY CRITICISM / European / Scandinavian
LIT004280	LITERARY CRITICISM / European / Spanish & Portuguese
LIT022000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
	LITERARY CRITICISM / Fantasy see Science Fiction & Fantasy
	LITERARY CRITICISM / Far Eastern see headings under Asian
LIT003000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Feminist
LIT004180	LITERARY CRITICISM / Gothic & Romance
LIT021000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Horror & Supernatural
LIT016000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Humor
LIT004060	LITERARY CRITICISM / Indigenous Peoples in the Americas
LIT004210	LITERARY CRITICISM / Jewish
LIT004160	LITERARY CRITICISM / LGBTQ+
LIT011000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Medieval
LIT004220	LITERARY CRITICISM / Middle Eastern
LIT024000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / General
LIT024010	LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 16th Century
LIT024020	LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 17th Century
LIT024030	LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 18th Century
LIT024040	LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 19th Century
LIT024050	LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 20th Century
LIT024060	LITERARY CRITICISM / Modern / 21st Century
LIT004230	LITERARY CRITICISM / Mystery & Detective
	LITERARY CRITICISM / Native American see Indigenous Peoples in the Americas
LIT026000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Novel as Form *
	LITERARY CRITICISM / Oceanian see Australian & Oceanian
	LITERARY CRITICISM / Oriental see headings under Asian
LIT014000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Poetry
LIT012000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Reference
LIT019000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Renaissance
LIT004240	LITERARY CRITICISM / Russian & Soviet
LIT004260	LITERARY CRITICISM / Science Fiction & Fantasy
LIT006000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Semiotics & Theory
LIT015000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Shakespeare
LIT018000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Short Stories
	LITERARY CRITICISM / South & Southeast Asian see headings under Asian
LIT025000	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / General
LIT025060	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Culture, Race & Ethnicity *
LIT025070	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Gender Identity *
LIT025010	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Historical Events
LIT025080	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Love & Erotica *
LIT025020	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Nature
LIT025030	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Politics
LIT025040	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Religion
LIT025050	LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Women
	LITERARY CRITICISM / Theory see Semiotics & Theory
LIT004290	LITERARY CRITICISM / Women Authors

If your title does not have subject content, i.e. a blank book, please use the Non-Classifiable term below. Otherwise, use the Subject/General term in the closest descriptive area. NON000000 NON-CLASSIFIABLE

© 2022, Book Industry Study Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of these lists or any attached documents may be distributed or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc.