Framing Marginality: Multicultural Literary Studies (Interpretations (Carlton, Vic.).)

Outside the mainstream of literary production, ethnic minority writings can be perceived either as 'framing' it or as constituting, in Derrida's phrase, a 'dangerous supplement'. What is the status of writings by minority ethnic groups in a country such as Australia, where the literature is written in English and where the dominant cultural traditions are Anglo-Celtic? How is our understanding of Australian literature affected by that heterogeneous collection of writings variously described as 'migrant', 'ethnic minority' or 'multicultural'? Is ethnic difference as significant a factor for interpreting texts as gender or social class?
Framing Marginality draws on feminist, post-structuralist and post-colonial criticism to examine how non-Anglo-Celtic writings circulate in Australia and how they are transforming definitions of Australian literature. Comparative multicultural studies, recent critiques of English studies as an imperial apparatus and the deconstruction of 'universal' notions of culture by such scholars as Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, Gayatri Spivak and Trinh Minh-ha also provide means for us to try to answer these questions.

Sneja Gunew has recently accepted a post as Professor of English at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.