Contemporary Fictions of Multiculturalism: Diversity and the Millennial London Novel

by Michael Perfect

Overview

Contemporary Fictions of Multiculturalism analyses novels of the late 20th and early 21st centuries that explore ethnic and cultural diversity in London. It contributes to key, ongoing debates in literary and cultural studies and, in particular, to debates over the status and relevance of multiculturalism today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781349455430
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	10/17/2014
Edition description:	1st ed. 2014
Pages:	221
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael Perfect is an Assistant Professor of English Literature at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. His main research and teaching interests are in twentieth- and twenty-first century literature and culture. He has published journal articles and book chapters on contemporary British literature and postcolonial studies and has taught at the University of Cambridge - where he obtained his PhD in 2011 - as well as in London.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Backgrounds: Facts and Fictions of Multicultural London 1. Multiculturalism and the Work of Hanif Kureishi 2. 'Fold the paper and pass it on': Andrea Levy's London Fiction 3. Multicultural London in Zadie Smith's White Teeth : a Celebration of Unpredictability and Uncertainty? 4. Permanence and Transience: Monica Ali's Brick Lane (2003) and In The Kitchen (2009) 5. Mis-marketing Multiculturalism? Gautam Malkani's Londonstani (2006) 6. London as a Safe Haven? Asylum, Immigration and Missing Fingers in Chris Cleave's The Other Hand (2008) and Brian Chikwava's Harare North (2009) 7. London as a 'Brutal', 'Hutious' City: Stephen Kelman's Pigeon English (2011) 8. Coda: The Prophet's Graveyard Notes Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

This book generously furnishes a field of study that will only increase in relevance with ample insights and critical ingenuity, furthering the understanding of how the composition of a contemporary metropolis shapes novelists and is, in turn, shaped by them.” (George Derk, Modern Fiction Studies, Vol. 62 (2), 2016)

“Perfect’s readings reveal shifting attitudes towards London’s multiculturalism and the importance of literature in reflecting and shaping an evolving discourse. … Perfect makes a valuable contribution to the mapping of a body of literature. The strengths of this work undoubtedly lie in its sensitive readings and comprehensive analysis of some key novels of the 21st century and it will inevitably prove to be a useful resource for students of contemporary British literature.” (Sarah Ilott, Journal of Postcolonial Writing, December, 2015)

From the Publisher