Are Anthology Titles Italicized?
MLA-style book and container guidance treats an anthology or edited collection as a whole book title, so the anthology title is italicized; individual works inside it are formatted according to their own title type.
Yes in MLA-style treatment: the title of the anthology as a whole is italicized.
Key details
Important caveats
Scope Boundary
A work contained inside the anthology has its own title treatment; this guide addresses the anthology/collection title itself and should not be generalized beyond the governing style.
Further guidance
Example
MLA-style invented example: “Harbour Light” appears in *Modern Coastal Writing*. The individual work is quoted; the anthology title is italicized.
Practical Application
In MLA-style treatment, italicize the title of the anthology or edited collection as the larger book-level work. Style an individual poem, story, essay, or chapter inside it according to that component’s own title type.
Reader Check
Identify whether the words name the whole collection or one contribution inside it. Do not give the component the same title treatment automatically.
Recommendation
In MLA-style writing, italicize the title of the anthology as a whole.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- MLA Works Cited Page: Books (opens in a new tab)Purdue OWL · MLA-oriented guidance and examples treating an anthology or collection as a whole book/container title, supporting italics for the anthology title.