Eighteen chapters by leading academics and practitioners on key aspects of English Literature to inform, engage and pique the interest. A perfect overview of the subject for advanced level students, first year undergraduates and the general reader. Foreword by Professor John Mullan Robert Eaglestone: What is English Literature? Judy Simons: The Critical Essay Peter Barry: Reading in Context Michael Rosen: Poetry - A Conversation Across Time Emma Smith: Shakespeare and Historical Context Jenny Stevens: The Rise of the Novel in the 18th and 19th Centuries Malcolm Hebron: The Romantics Stephen Donovan: Modernism Sean McEvoy: Modern Drama in Britain and Ireland - The European Influence Pamela Bickley: The Novel in the 20th and 21st Centuries Nicolas Tredell: Declaration and Dream -American Literature Leila Kamali: Postcolonial Literature Andrew Michael Hurley: Gothic and the Supernatural Nathan Waddell: Dystopia Christopher Pittard: Crime Chris Powers: The Short Story Nicolas Tredell: `Isms' and the Critical Reader Andrew McCallum: Experimental Literature Past, Present and Future