Literature and Diplomacy

The relationships between literature and diplomacy are plural, ancient, and reciprocal. This entry examines the history of those relationships from the fourteenth century to the present day, from the end of feudalism and the birth of humanism, and the ambassadorial practices attendant upon each, to present day international relations and literary responses to diplomatic handling of global terrorism. The entry focuses in its first section on the figure of the author-diplomat, turning to the products of those figures in the second section, which considers mimetic and discursive representations of diplomats and diplomatic process. Genres of literary diplomacy are suggested (for example lyric, dramatic, romantic) in order to trace discursive traditions of representation.