From new national to world literature

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This work provides a personal perspective on the evolution of a significant cultural movement that began with decolonization and has progressed through postcolonial literature to encompass world or international English literature. The extensive Introduction by Bruce King discusses key personalities, writers, issues, and contexts, highlighting what he views as the most important cultural shift since Modernism. It outlines the forty-five essays and reviews selected from his publications to illustrate the development of major national literatures, authors, and themes, with particular focus on Nigerian, West Indian, Australian, Indian, and Pakistani literature. Key topics include the organization of Commonwealth and Anglo-Irish studies, the aesthetics of African literature, the existence of a “Nigerian literature,” the role of new universities in decolonizing culture, the influence of the Rockefeller Foundation, and contrasting models of American and Irish literatures. It also examines ethnicity, the nature of exile and diasporas, the role of Jewish writers, and the interplay between nationalism and internationalism. Notable authors discussed include Chinua Achebe, Salman Rushdie, Wole Soyinka, and Derek Walcott, among others.