New book on digital humanities by Prof. James O'Sullivan

13 Nov 2026

A new book by University College Cork's Professor James O’Sullivan explores how digital technologies are transforming the study of literature and culture, from computational approaches to literary analysis to the emergence of artificial intelligence.

Digital Humanities, published as part of Routledge's New Critical Idiom Series, offers an accessible and critical introduction to one of the fastest-evolving areas of humanities scholarship.

It is available across multiple formats from Routledge now:
https://www.routledge.com/Digital-Humanities/OSullivan/p/book/9780815384809

Written for students, researchers, and anyone interested in the relationship between technology and culture, the book examines how computers have changed the ways in which we read, analyse, publish, and understand literature. Professor O’Sullivan traces the history of digital humanities from its origins in the pioneering computational research of the 1940s to contemporary developments in artificial intelligence and generative technologies.

The book introduces readers to computational literary criticism, including techniques that allow researchers to analyse large collections of texts and identify patterns that might otherwise remain invisible. It also explores the evolution of digital literature, from early experiments in hypertext fiction to contemporary interactive and AI-generated writing. Beyond literary analysis, Digital Humanities considers the wider transformation of publishing and cultural production, examining the influence of social media, open access, and digital publishing on how literature is created, circulated, and consumed.

Importantly, the book also offers a critical perspective on the field, addressing questions of inequality, representation, and labour, as well as the limitations of computational approaches to culture. At a time when artificial intelligence is prompting renewed debate about the future of education, research, and creative expression, the book argues for the continuing importance of critical humanities perspectives in understanding technological change.

Drawing on Professor O’Sullivan’s research at the intersection of literature, computing, and cultural analytics, the volume provides an introduction to the intellectual debates, methodological innovations, and emerging challenges shaping the digital humanities.

James O'Sullivan is Professor of Digital Culture & Cultural Analytics at the School of English & Digital Humanities, University College Cork.