Historical Companion to Postcolonial Literatures in English

This is the first reference guide to the political, cultural and economic histories that form the subject-matter of postcolonial literatures written in English. The focus of the Companion is principally on the histories of postcolonial literatures in the Anglophone world - Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South-east Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Canada. There are also long entries discussing the literatures and histories of those further areas that have also claimed the title ‘postcolonial’, notably Britain, East Asia, Ireland, Latin America and the United States. The Companion contains 220 entries written by 150 acknowledged scholars of postcolonial history and literature, and covers major events, ideas, movements, and figures in postcolonial histories. In addition, for each region, there are long survey essays on historiography and women’s histories. The majority of the entries focus on the period after the end of colonial rule in Britain’s Empire, but as many postcolonial literary works re-visit the period of colonial rule, the Companion includes entries on certain events from this earlier period too. Each entry provides a summary of the historical event or topic, as well as bibliographies of postcolonial literary works and histories for further reading. Extensive cross-references and indexes enable readers to locate particular literary texts in their relevant historical contexts, as well as to discover related literary texts and histories in other regions with ease. By outlining the historical contexts of postcolonial literatures, the Companion provides an important key to understanding complex contemporary debates about race, colonialism and neo-colonialism, politics, economics, culture and language. Its coverage of events, figures and movements along with political, social, and economic developments makes this indispensable reading for students, teachers and general readers alike.