The Ossetian literature is comparatively young, with its first specimen published in the 1890s.
Its golden age was in the years after the October Revolution in Russia, when local languages received a significant impact.
The Ossetian writers and poets use the rich fund of traditional lyrics and the Nart epic, which is considered the national epic of the Ossetians (as well as of several other peoples of the North Caucasus, each having their own version).
Ossetian poets include Kosta Khetagurov, Yakov Khozijev, Grish Pliev, and Shamil Jigkayev.
Ossetian prose writers include Arsen Kotsoyev, Seka Gadiyev, Elbazduko Britayev, and Nafi Jusoyty.