Beowulf

Beowulf is an Old English epic poem which follows the life of the protagonist Beowulf in his efforts to find and defeat the monster Grendel. The poem, by an unknown author, runs over 3,000 lines long and is considered to be one of the earliest known epics. Scholars believe it was composed sometime between the eighth and eleventh century AD. Over one million versions are in print today and have been translated from Old English to modern languages.

Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney's 2001 translation won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award.

The epic has transposed to film numerous times - the most recent being a 2007 eponymous animated film, directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary.