Chapbook

A chapbook is a small, inexpensive booklet, typically containing poems, ballads, short stories, or popular prose tales. They were a common form of popular literature from the 16th to the 19th centuries, particularly in Britain and North America. Chapbooks were often sold by itinerant peddlers, known as "chapmen," hence the name.

Content in chapbooks varied widely, ranging from religious tracts and almanacs to sensationalized news reports and fictional narratives. The quality of writing was equally diverse, encompassing both works of literary merit and hastily produced, often anonymous, pieces intended for mass consumption. Due to their ephemeral nature and low cost, chapbooks were often discarded after reading, making surviving copies relatively scarce and valuable today.

Chapbooks played a significant role in disseminating information and entertainment to a broad audience, including those with limited literacy. They provided a crucial outlet for popular culture and helped shape literary tastes. In contemporary usage, the term "chapbook" often refers specifically to short collections of poetry, frequently self-published or produced by small presses, continuing the tradition of accessible and affordable literature.