The Cambridge Companion to British Literature and Empire

The volume outlines modern British literature’s relation to global empire from the 16th century to the present. Spanning the interactions between Britain, Europe, and the world outside, in Asia, Africa, Australasia, North America, and the Caribbean, it suggests the centrality of colonial-capitalist empire and global exchanges in the development of major genres of literary fiction, poetry, drama, and non-fiction. Illuminating the vital role of categories such as race, class, gender, religion, commerce, war, slavery, resistance, and decolonization, the twenty-one chapters of the book chart major aspects of British literature and empire. In rigorous yet accessible prose, an international team of experts provides an updated account of earlier and latest scholarship. Suitable for a general readership and academics in the field, the Companion will aid readers in familiarizing with Britain’s imperial past and its continuing relevance for the present.