Multimodal Literature in the Age of Covid-19

Multimodal literary works typically feature an array of verbal and non-verbal elements that operate collaboratively and, in addition to the materiality of the print book medium, create unique narrative experiences. The recent developments in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic have significantly impacted the availability of multimodal works and their access by readers and scholars. While institutions have responded to the changing environment with a surge of digital online material, experiencing multimodal literary works in digital format, when available, can compromise several facets of the reading experience. The complex physical format as well as the (occasionally) limited print run of such works makes libraries and other institutions reluctant to scan and disseminate them for public access.This article examines the contemporary challenges that multimodal print-based works are currently facing in relation to their distinctive composition and print run, suggesting that digital and audio formats can be partially effective when considered at the production stage of these literary works (rather than at earlier stages during the creative process). Moreover, the prominence of physicality in the narrative experience of multimodal literary works leads to a reconsideration of broader readerly experiences in the age of Covid-19 developments.