What Makes Literature Healthy?

This paper is based on the lecture “What makes literature healthy?” held in Stavanger, December 2024 as part of Andersen’s doctoral defense. The paper investigates links between literature and health through a literature review of empirical studies of literature, and with use of examples from a Shared Reading group for cancer patients. The aim of this paper is to shed light on what makes literature healthy; the characteristics or qualities related to literature and literary reading. The paper provides possible answers and identifies relevant themes and research for further exploration.