Commonwealth Fiction : Twenty-First Century Readings

Commonwealth literature continues to retain a separate identity in the twenty-first century, even though some of its creators do not favour the term any longer. Our identity stems from our history. English was a historical accident that gave an overwhelming majority of the commonwealth countries the first opportunity for creative expression. English is now the chief marker of identity for commonwealth fiction, which owes its current high visibility in the international arena to English. In this light, stimulating answers may be found to the questions concerning the relevance of "Commonwealth" as a literary category, the common characteristics of the literatures produced in the former British colonies, and the role of academia in keeping alive the idea of commonwealth literature. In this anthology, scholars from at least three continents analyse some important works of fiction originating from the former British colonies, deal with major topics in the current postcolonial debate, and put commonwealth fiction itself into perspective.