This course, one of 16 sequential courses comprising phase one of a part-time Bachelor of Arts degree program in Australian Studies, uses literary authorship as an example of a highly individualized social role and shows how authorial attributions and modes of composition have changed over time. It is designed for independent study combined with tutorial sessions. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the course and its study objectives. Chapter 2, "The Sociological Study of Authorship," discusses the image of the author and how this image is a social construct. Chapter 3, "Authorship and the Transformation of the Book by Printing," covers the history of publishing. Chapter 4, "Authorship and Techniques of Composition," deals with romanticism, formulaic composition, and the evolution of authorship. Chapter 5 summarizes and concludes the course. The first tutorial session deals with the areas covered in the first three chapters; the second tutorial deals with formulaic composition, the rhetorical tradition, and the expressive image. Also included are lists of required readings, additional readings, a bibliography, and self-assessment questions. (IS)