Postwar British Literature and Postcolonial Studies

Explores a wide range of writers through the lens of postcolonial theory, focusing on themes of imperialism and decolonisation, globalisation and national identity.

Places literary developments within an expanded conception of the legacy of imperialism and decolonisationThis radical reassessment shows how, after the Second World War, British national identity and culture was shaped in ways that still operate today. As empires declined, globalisation spread, and literature responded to these influences.As Graham MacPhee explains, postwar writers blended the experimentalism of prewar modernism with other cultural traditions. In this way, they reveal both the pain and the pleasures of multiculturalism, as they seek to cope with the shock of post-imperial downsizing.Case studies include:* Sam Selvon''s The Lonely Londoners* John Arden''s Serjeant Musgrave''s Dance* Linton Kwesi Johnson''s Dread Beat an'' Blood* Tony Harrison''s V* Kazuo Ishiguro''s The Remains of the Day* Leila Aboulela''s Minaret* Andrea Levy''s Small Island* Ian McEwan''s Saturday