Coasts and the Gothic

This volume examines the longstanding relationship between coastal environments and the Gothic imagination. Coasts are vital but often unsettled sites in ecological, political, national and cultural terms, and the present study demonstrates the importance of the coast to the Gothic literary tradition. In turn, it highlights the value of thinking through the Gothic to enrich our understanding of littoral spaces around the world, and the meanings with which they have been invested. Just as coasts often invite us to think beyond the borders of nations and states, Coasts and the Gothic adopts a deliberately global perspective in its exploration of the Gothic coast. The writings of both canonical and lesser-known Gothic authors illuminate the rich and varied ways by which our shores have been found to be haunted: the chapters in this volume explore literature produced in and about Britain, the US, Mexico, South Africa, the Andaman Islands, Rapa Nui and China.