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.