Literature is a card game for 6 or 8 players in two teams using a shortened version of the standard 52-card pack. The game is sometimes called Fish or Canadian Fish, after the similar Go Fish, or Russian Fish. It is played in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India and in parts of North America. Rules The following rules are based on John McLeod's version at pagat.com: Overview The game is played by six or eight players in two teams. Six is best and is standard in the Canadian game. Players sit in alternating order. Four 8's are removed from a standard French-suited 52-card English pattern pack to leave 48 cards. There are thus eight half-suits of six cards each called sets or books such as "Low Spades" (2 3 4 5 6 7) or "High Hearts" (9 10 J Q K A). Objective The objective is to win more books than the other team. Deal Deal and play are assumed to be to the left i.e. clockwise. The first dealer is selected at random by e.g. drawing cards, highest deals. Dealer shuffles and deals all the cards out, individually and face down, beginning with the player to the dealer's immediate left. If six play, they will each receive 8 cards; if eight play, 6 cards. When the deal is finished players pick up and look at their own cards. Play Unusually, the dealer goes first. When it is a player's turn, the player may ask a question of any member of the opposing team as follows: A specific card must be requested e.g. "I would like the 8 of Spades" The player must hold a card that is part of the requested book The player asked must hold at least one card The player may not ask for a card already held The player may not ask a teammate for a card Example: Anna only has one Diamond in her hand – the J. She may ask for the 9, 10, Q, Kor A, but not the J or any of the lower Diamonds. The called player must hand over the called card, face up, if held. The caller then has another turn and may ask another question of any desired opponent. If the called player does not have the called card, the turn ends and the called player has the next turn. Claiming and winning books A