Britain: Spring 2012 (Granta: the Magazine of New Writing, 119)

A nation defined by tradition and built on expansion, Britain now has more languages spoken within its capital than any other city in the world.

Recently, Granta has explored Chicago, Pakistan and the world of Spanish-language letters. In this bold, eclectic issue, the magazine turns back to focus on Britain.

In 2012, Britain is a nation in flux, managing difficult socioeconomic realities, contending with new political alliances and negotiating shifting demographics. Yet, it is a country that is still perceived as being bound by tradition and class structures.

Is Britain still Great? Where does it stand in the New Europe? What will it become in the 21st century? The issue includes brand new novel excerpts by Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, Jim Crace, and Rachel Seiffert; essays by Robert MacFarlane, Gary Younge, and Andrew Stuart; new short stories by Mark Haddon, Adam Foulds, Tania James, Jon McGregor and Ross Raisin; and poems by Simon Armitage, Jamie McKenrick, Don Patterson, and Robin Robertson. Introducing Sam Byers.

John Freeman’s criticism has appeared in more than two hundred newspapers around the world, including The Guardian, The Independent, The Times (UK), and The Wall Street Journal. Between 2006 and 2008, he served as president of the National Book Critics Circle. His first book, THE TYRANNY OF EMAIL, was published in 2009. His poems have appeared in The New Yorker and Zyzzyva.