Authorial voice in writing: A literature review

Abstract

This paper reports on a literature review of theoretical and empirical research related to authorial voice in writing, spanning a period of over 50 years, from 1968 till 2021. The concepts of identity and voice in writing are often used interchangeably; however, some researchers differentiate the two conceptions, determining authorial voice as the writer's identity reflected in writing. Over the span of the past 50 years the construct of authorial voice has undergone a shift from individual to social to a more recent eclectic or ‘dialogic’ conception of voice. The paper concludes with an outline of a path for further research on authorial voice in writing.

Keywords

• Authorial voice
• Writer's voice
• Writer's identity
• Writing
• Written discourse