British Writing from Empire to Brexit: Writing, Identity and Nation

This introduction to British literature from 1900 to 2021 looks at British writing from the perspective of the 2016 Brexit vote and its seismic repercussions. The book covers a wide variety of British literature in order to expose the cultural and political history of Britain, its repeated challenges and highly class-bound, patriarchal structure.

British Writing from Empire to Brexit: Writing, Identity, and Nation offers a stark view of what British culture has come to represent, and the repercussions. Not shying away from discussions around imperialism, nationalism, and racism, Robert Spencer, Howard J. Booth, and Anastasia Valassopoulos offer a radical deconstruction of what Britishness can, and should, mean, promoting a convincing and accessible way to rethink the texts and field. The authors analyse novels, poetry, and prose which amplify the dissentient and dissident perspectives of women, gender non-conforming, and queer authors, as well as the varied viewpoints and insights of working-class, immigrant, postcolonial, Black, and Asian writers, showing how these works open up post-national futures after empire and after Brexit.

Ultimately offering a model to rescue Britain from its current crises and anxieties, this book is an essential read for anyone approaching the study of British literature and culture, as well as those working on postcolonial studies, decolonisation, recent British history and politics, or with an interest in empire and Brexit.

Robert Spencer is Senior Lecturer in the Department of English and American Studies at the University of Manchester, UK. He is the author of numerous books and articles on cultural theory and on postcolonial and modern literature.

Howard J. Booth is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Manchester, UK. Among other research areas, he has written widely on the relationship of modern writing to empire. He is the General Editor of The Cambridge Edition of the Fiction of E. M. Forster.

Anastasia Valassopoulos is Senior Lecturer in World Literatures at the University of Manchester, UK. She has published widely on postcolonial literatures and cultures.