The relationship between work and literature is as multifaceted as it is complex. The authors of this volume examine, on one hand, thematic representations of work in literary texts and their historical forms of representation. On the other hand, they also focus on the work involved in the text—both at the production level and from a reception-aesthetic perspective. They draw a broad historical arc and reflect, not least, on the impact of their own scholarly work and the possibilities for academic intervention both within and outside the university setting.