Introduction

Libellus, libelli, m. noun. (Latin) a little book; a small work written for publication; a pamphlet; a notebook.

When thinking about short fiction my mind immediately gravitates to the ancient, specifically to the first century Latin poet Catullus. As part of the novi poetae of his generation, he rebelled against the long, drawn-out epic and strove to write smaller, succinct, personal pieces. In the first poem of his collection, he calls his masterpiece a libellus: his “little book” which, he tells us, is highly polished, new, and charming. In the Tradition of Catullus I present my list of libelli – “short books” – with nods to Latin, Ancient Greek and the survival of myths through the 21st Century. It is my hope that anyone who wants an introduction to classics, without committing to reading an epic, will use this list as a touching off point. (All translations from Latin and Ancient Greek are my own, by the way.)