Literary and Cultural Representations of the Hinterlands

This interdisciplinary collection explores the diverse relationships between the frequently ignored and inherently ambiguous hinterlands and their manifestations in literature and culture. It reconceptualizes hinterlands as spaces with semiotic complexity, highlighting their geocultural significance and exploring themes such as nostalgia, heterotopia, identity formation, habitation, and cognitive mapping. The book juxtaposes literary and filmic revisions of familiar hinterlands with representations of lesser-known European hinterlands and investigates the political dimension of First World War internment camps. Diverse approaches to hinterlands reinforce their multilayered and multivocal nature as spaces that defy clear categorization.

Format: Hardback
Length: 270 pages
Publication date: 22 December 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive interdisciplinary collection delves into the intricate and often overlooked connections between the enigmatic hinterlands and their diverse manifestations in literature and culture. By shifting away from perspectives that perceive hinterlands as marginal and devoid of agency, this collection presents a series of original essays that employ various modes of engagement to reimagine and emphasize the semiotic complexity of these regions. In addition to offering a fresh perspective on the geocultural significance of hinterlands, this book explores these spaces through concepts such as nostalgia, heterotopia, identity formation, habitation, and cognitive mapping, referencing a wide geographical field.

The volume juxtaposes literary and filmic revisions of well-known hinterlands, such as the Australian outback, Alberta prairie, and Arizona desert, with representations of lesser-known European hinterlands like Lower Silesia and Ukraine. It also delves into the political dimension of First World War internment camps, specifically focusing on Kapuskasing (Ontario). Rural China and the Sussex Downs are examined as writers' retreats, while inner-city hinterlands in Haiti, India, Morocco, and urban New Jersey acquire new meanings when contrasted with the vast hinterlands of megacities like Johannesburg and Los Angeles.

The diverse range of approaches to hinterlands serves to reinforce their multifaceted and multivocal nature as spaces that defy easy categorization. By exploring these connections, this collection sheds light on the complex interplay between the hinterlands and their surrounding societies, contributing to a deeper understanding of the world's cultural and geographical landscapes.

Weight: 690g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032617718