Decolonizing Literature: An Introduction

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 188 pages
Publication date: 10 August 2023
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

The recent efforts to diversify and decentre the literary canon taught at universities have been moderately successful. However, this expansion of our reading lists is merely the beginning of a broader decolonization of literary studies as a discipline. There remains much work to be done to achieve this urgent intellectual and political project.

Anna Bernard argues that the decolonization of literary studies necessitates a shift in not only what we read but also how we read. In her engaging prose, she explores the work that has already been done within and beyond the academy, challenging readers to consider where we should go from here. Bernard suggests ways to recognize and respond to the political work that texts perform, considering issues of language and translation, comparative reading, ideological argument, and genre in relation to the history of anticolonial struggle. Above all, Bernard demonstrates that although we have a long way to go, the work of decolonizing literary studies is already underway.

Decolonizing Literature is a valuable resource for anyone interested in the development and future of the field.

ISBN-13: 9781509544639