Abstract
This article introduces a special issue on ‘Fiction and the Entrepreneurial Imagination’ with three main objectives. First, it provides a brief overview of existing scholarship related to the use of literature in management and entrepreneurship studies for readers unfamiliar with this perspective and its methodologies. Second, it reviews the ten articles included in the special issue, summarizing how they tackle key challenges in entrepreneurship research. Various literary forms – drama, poetry, novels, and music – offer insights into the complex nature of entrepreneurship by exploring the essence of possibility, the intricacies of path dependence, the formation of founder identity, and the influence of personal values, place attachment, and gender. These articles advocate for diverse perspectives on emancipatory entrepreneurship and encourage a more nuanced vocabulary to describe entrepreneurial actions and emotions. Together, these contributions highlight the role of imagination in shaping entrepreneurial paths. Finally, we suggest how literature can enhance entrepreneurship scholarship in ways that other perspectives and methodologies might not achieve.