The Oxford Companion to English Literature
Seventh Edition
Edited by Dinah Birch and Margaret Drabble
Series : Oxford Companions
The Oxford Companion to English Literature has long been established as the leading reference resource for students, teachers, scholars, and general readers of English literature. It provides unrivalled coverage of all aspects of English literature - from writers, their works, and the historical
and cultural context in which they wrote, to critics, literary theory, allusions, and characters.
For the seventh edition, the Companion has been thoroughly revised and updated to meet the needs and concerns of today's students and general readers. Over 1,000 new entries have been added,
ranging from new writers - Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, Patrick Marber, David Mitchell, Arundhati Roy - to increased coverage of writers and literary movements from around the world. Coverage of American literature has been substantially increased, with new entries on writers such as Cormac McCarthy and
Amy Tan and on movements and publications.
Contextual and historical coverage has also been expanded, with new entries on European history and culture, post-colonial literature, as well as writers and literary movements from around the world that have influenced English literature.
The Companion has always been a quick and dependable source of reference for students, and the new edition confirms its pre-eminent role as the go-to resource of first choice. All entries have been reviewed, and details of new works, biographies, and criticism have been brought right up to
date. So also has coverage of the themes, aproaches and concepts encountered by students today, from terms to articles on literary theory and theorists. There is increased coverage of writers from around the world, as well as from Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and of contextual topics, including
film and television, music, and art. Cross-referencing has been thoroughly updated, with stronger linking from writers to thematic and conceptual entries.
Meanwhile coverage of popular genres such as children's literature, science fiction, biography, reportage, crime fiction, fantasy or
travel literature has been increased substantially, with new entries on writers from Philip Pullman to Anne Frank and from Anais Nin to Douglas Adams.
The seventh edition of this classic Companion, now under the joint editorship of Dinah Birch and Margaret Drabble - assisted by a team of
28 distinguished associate editors, and over 150 contributors - ensures that it retains its status as the most authoritative, informative, and accessible guide to literature available.
Readership : Suitable for students and teachers of English literature, and related literatures; general readers with an interest in English literature, including those brought to it through book groups, literary festivals, and prizes, and anyone who enjoys reading and wants to know more about authors and
their works.
Reviews
- Review from previous edition: "Always good company"
--Ian Sansom, Guardian - "No guide could come more classic than The Oxford Companion to English Literature ... the literary reference source of first resort ... indispensable ... . Contemporary international writing is
excellently covered ... excellent chronology"
--Malcolm Bradbury, The Times - "Everybody with an interest in English literature will want to own it"
--David Sexton, Evening Standard - "Remains irresistible"
--Sue Gaisford, Harpers & Queen
Preface to Seventh Edition
Contributors' Biographies
Abbreviations
Note to the Reader
1. Hermione Lee: Contemporary Literary Culture
2. Kelvin Everest: Literature and History
3. Benedict Ledent: Black British Literature
4. Michael Rosen: Children's Literature
The
Oxford Companion to English Literature A-Z
Chronology
Poets Laureate
Literary Awards
Index of Contributors
There are no Instructor/Student Resources available at this time.
Dinah Birch is Professor of English Literature at Liverpool University. She was previously a tutorial fellow at Trinity College, Oxford. She specializes particularly in the work of John Ruskin, on whom she has authored and edited a number of books. She has also had numerous other articles and
book contributions published. Margaret Drabble is a distinguished novelist and biographer. Her many novels include Jerusalem the Golden, The Needle's Eye, The Seven Sisters, and The Red Queen. She has also written biographies of Arnold Bennett and Angus Wilson.
There are no related titles available at this time.
Special Features
- The seventh edition of the acclaimed guide, now under the joint editorship of Dinah Birch and Margaret Drabble.
- Wide-ranging coverage of writers, works, historical context, literary theory, allusions, and characters.
- Encompasses recent writers, ideas, and scholarship, as well as
shifting the overall tone of the Companion to bring it more in line with current language usage.
- Genre literatures such as science fiction, biography, crime fiction and fantasy are covered in a more integrated manner.
- Over 150 contributors, including Lisa Appignanesi, Chris Baldick, Kate
Clanchy, Jonathan Coe, Penelope Fitzgerald, Margaret Forster, John Gribbin, Richard Holmes, Michael Holroyd, Sheridan Morley, Salman Rushdie, Hilary Spurling, David Stafford, and John Sutherland.
- Detailed chronology shows key literary works and events of the last thousand years in historical
context.
- Lists of poets laureate and literary prize winners from inception to the present day.
New to this Edition- Greater coverage is given to genre literature such as biography, children's literature, travel writing, crime fiction, fantasy, and science fiction.
- Areas of literature
crucial to contemporary courses, such as post-colonial literature, women's writing, and gay and lesbian writing, are all covered more comprehensively.
- More thematic entries are included, including essays by high-profile writers, offering personal points of view on their areas of
expertise.
- Improved cross-referencing throughout the Companion makes it easier to navigate and to locate relevant information.
- Bibliographical information included for all major entries, on both authors and themes.
- Encompasses recent writers, ideas, and scholarship, as well as shifting the
overall tone of the Companion to bring it more in line with current language usage.
