Publication: 9 August 2026

A book of brilliant literary excerpts providing a new approach to engagement with literature in an inviting, accessible way.

Are you looking to join a book club, but short on time to read every book?

This rich and diverse selection of unforgettable writing is carefully curated for a ten-minute hit of literary wonder. An anthology with a twist, the featured books cover all periods, forms and genres, offering instantly appealing reading material on every emotion from joy to
terror. It includes well-known writers such as William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Charlotte Brontë and Emily Dickinson alongside early twentieth-century authors including E.M. Forster, James Joyce and Willa Cather. You will also find writers from the Harlem Renaissance, the women’s rights movement of the early twentieth century and from across the globe. Each excerpt is framed by a short analysis, getting to the heart of the short read, introducing the author and suggesting further literary adventures.

Perfect for the daily commute, or as an inspirational gift for a curious reader, this book is a must-have of pure reading pleasure.

KIRSTEN E. SHEPHERD is Professor of English and Theatre Studies at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St Catherine’s College, Oxford. She founded LitHits in 2018.

ALEXANDRA PADDOCK is a Lecturer in Old and Middle English at Keble College, Oxford. She is a lead curator of LitHits.

DANIEL IBRAHIM ABDALLA is a Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Liverpool. He is a lead curator of LitHits.

• Hardback
• ISBN: 9781851246557
• 400 pages
• Size: 234 x 156 mm