Based on the bestselling Oxford Companion to English Literature, this is an indispensable, compact guide to all aspects of English literature. Over 5,500 new and revised A to Z entries give unrivalled coverage of writers, works, historical context, literary theory, allusions, characters, and plot summaries. Discursive feature entries supply a wealth of information about important genres in literature.

For this fourth edition, the dictionary has been fully revised and updated to include expanded coverage of postcolonial, African, black British, and children's literature, as well as improved representation in the areas of science fiction, biography, travel literature, women's writing, gay and lesbian writing, and American literature.

The appendices listing literary prize winners, including the Nobel, Man Booker, and Pulitzer prizes, have all been updated and there is also a timeline, chronicling the development of English literature from c. 1000 to the present day. Many entries feature recommended web links, which are listed and regularly updated on a dedicated companion website.

Written originally by a team of more than 140 distinguished authors and extensively updated for this new edition, this book provides an essential point of reference for English students, teachers, and all other readers of literature in English.

Features

• Over 5,500 entries - all fully revised and updated for this new edition. Also features new entries, such as nature writing, Lee Child, and vampires in literature.
• Covers world fiction, literary theory, historical and cultural context.
• Appendices include lists of literary prize winners, as well as a historical timeline charting the development of literature through the ages.
• Extended entries give fascinating and informative discursive overviews of major genres in fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, biography, and crime fiction.
• Written by a team of more than 140 distinguished contributors, edited by Dinah Birch and Katy Hooper.
• Based on the acclaimed 7th edition of the Oxford Companion to English Literature, published in 2009.