The notion of thinking as an outside, and the critical distance which this entails, is a key to an understanding of Desai as writer, and a recurrent theme for the discussions of her novels and short stories in her book.
Helen Thomas examines the ways in which Caryl Phillips responds both creatively and critically to the psychological effects of cultural dispersal, racism and economic exploitation in the black Atlantic.
Thomas is one of the most controversial writers of our time - considered by some a major voice in contemporary fiction, by others a dubious literary 'impostor' who repeatedly appropriates female sexuality, the holocaust and the work of other writers for personal gain.
She explores the psychological and stylistic aspect of Barnes's work through close analysis of the texts within their social, cultural and aesthetic context, and provides an indispensable and enriching guide to Barnes's artistic identity and poetic vision.
Flann O'Brien was the best known pen name of Brian O'Nolan one of modern Ireland's most perplexing, subversive and underrated writers. Re-reading the whole span of Flann O'Brien's work, this title reintroduces O'Brien as a figure more relevant than ever to contemporary debates in Modernism and Irish studies.
This book is a study of Gertrude Stein's diverse and idiosyncratic oeuvre, ranging from established works such as `The Autobiography of Alice B. Above all, Nicola Shaughnessy shows how Stein's work benefits from being situated in an interdisciplinary artistic context with influences from art, theatre and music as well as literature.
The first full-length study of Grace Nichols's writing combines feminist and postcolonial reading strategies and places her work in both a Caribbean and black British context. It also shows how Nichols's poetry explores the boundaries of race, class, and gender.
Graham Swift is among the foremost contemporary British writers, having published seven highly acclaimed novels which are widely read by students and general public alike.