Harry Potter cramming on Gandalf the Grey. James Bond posting up Lady Macbeth. It’s March already, and that means Falvey Memorial Library’s bracketed literary smack-down is underway.

Following 2013’s highly competitive tournament in which #1 seed William Shakespeare obliterated a fierce field of authors, past and present, we at the Library have decided to shake things up and make this year’s battle about the creations rather than the creators. That’s right: 2014 is all about character. With that in mind we’ve compiled a list of 64 of the greatest literary characters and pitted them against each other in our seeded bracket with the goal of finding Villanova’s favorite. Not since the confusing and angst-ridden world of fan fiction have literary universes collided with such force, with such enthusiasm, and with so few spelling errors. What a time to be alive.

Like last year, the winners of each matchup will be chosen purely by the fans. That means if you want to see Wilbur the Pig take down Oedipus, then you’ll have to vote. There are two ways to vote this year: on our giant print bracket at the library’s front desk or online via our submission form. As an added bonus, each submitter is eligible to win a prize at the end of the tournament, so vote early and often. Check this site for future analysis and predictions, and follow us on Twitter and Facebook (#novabookbracket) for up to the minute updates and results. Best of luck to your favorite, and may the best character win.