If you describe something such as a book or film as self-referential, you mean that it is concerned with things such as its own composition or with other similarbooks or films.
...self-referential novels about writer's block.
self-referential in British English
(ˌsɛlfrɛfəˈrɛnʃəl)
adjective
(of a book, film, etc) concerned with things such as its own composition or with other similar books or films
He wrote a self-referential novel about writer's block.
self-referential in American English
(ˈsɛlfˌrɛfəˈrɛnʃəl)
adjective
1.
making reference to itself or oneself
2.
of, being, or related to a work of literature or art which exhibits the author's or artist's self-conscious awareness of the creative process, of the techniques he or she is using, etc.
Derived forms
self-referentiality (ˈself-ˌreferentiˈality)
noun
Examples of 'self-referential' in a sentence
self-referential
The doctor often produced such self-referential non sequiturs when at a loss.