Dictionary

epitext en · NOUN

Etymology

By surface analysis, epi- + text.

Meanings

1. Textual material which surrounds a work but is not part of the text or its peritext, including published interviews, private correspondence, diary entries and the like.
   • The concepts of “epitext” and “peritext” continue to be useful for the analysis of digital literature on portable electronic devices but need expansion as categories. 2013, Ellen McCracken, “Expanding Genette's Epitext/Peritext Model for Transitional Electronic Literature: Centrifugal and Centripetal Vectors on Kindles and iPads”, in Narrative, volume 21, number 1, page 106:
   • The concept of paratext was defined by Gérard Genette as common elements provided within a book (peritext) and elements outside of the book that refer to it (epitext); these elements can affect individual, as well as cultural, perceptions of a text (1997, 4–5). 2016, Melissa Gross, Don Latham, Jennifer Underhill, Hyerin Bak, “The Peritext Book Club: Reading to Foster Critical Thinking about STEAM Texts”, in School Library Research, volume 19, page 2:
   • It is the second category which I christen, for want of a better word, epitext and which will be the subject of the last two chapters. 1991, Gérard Genette, “Introduction to the Paratext”, in New Literary History, volume 22, number 2, page 264:

Forms

Coordinates

subtext · peritext · paratext · context

Deriveds

epitextual