Literary Adaptation and Digital Humanities: Laurence Sterne and Sterneana

Literary afterlives occupied a significant place in the cultural life of the eighteenth century and the Romantic period. Laurence Sterne’s work, especially Tristram Shandy and A Sentimental Journey, attracted diverse and extensive adaptation in various forms and media, collectively known as “Sterneana.” Digital Humanities initiatives have provided unprecedented opportunities for exploring literary afterlives, bringing obscure and rare materials to light that enrich understanding of adaptation as a broad phenomenon and its role in this period. This article discusses online resources that bring Sterne-related material to new audiences, focusing on Laurence Sterne and Sterneana, a dataset hosted by Cambridge Digital Library.