We are now in the Age of Caliban rather than in the Time of Ariel or the Era of Prospero, Harold Bloom claimed in 1992. Bloom was specifically referring to Caliban's rising popularity as the prototype of the colonised or repressed subject, especially since the 1980s. However, already earlier the figure of Caliban had inspired artists from the most divergent backgrounds: Robert Browning, Ernest Renan, Aime Cesaire, and Peter Greenaway, to name only some of the better known. Much has already been published on Caliban, and there exist a number of excellent surveys of this character's appearance...

Cultural Identity and Postmodern Writing seeks to ascertain the relationship obtaining between the specific form postmodernism assumes in a given culture, and the national narrative in which that culture traditionally recognizes itself. Theo D'haen provides a general introduction to the issue of "cultural identity and postmodern writing." Jos Joosten and Thomas Vaessens take a look at Dutch literature, and particular Dutch poetry, in relation to "postmodernism." Robert Haak and Andrea Kunne do the same with regard to, respectively, German and Austrian literature, while Roel Daamen turns to...

This remarkably broad and informative book offers an introduction to and overview of World Literature. Tracing the term from its earliest roots and situating it within a number of relevant contexts from postcolonialism to postmodernism, Theo D'haen examines:

• the return of the term "world literature" and its changing meaning
• Goethe's concept of Weltliteratur and how this relates to current debates
• theories and theorists who have had an impact on world literature
• non-canonical and less-known literatures from around the globe
• the...

This title offers the ideal introduction to the theories and debates surrounding world literature through extracts from the essential texts and writers in the field.

In recent years postnational theory has become a primary tool for the analysis of European integration. Though interpretations of the concept vary, there is a wide consensus about postnationalism as a way to forge a European identity beyond a particular national history. In line with the German historical context in which this key concept was formulated in the first place, postnationalism is considered to be an adaptation of Kantian cosmopolitanism to the conditions of the modern world. This collection of essays is the first to systematically and comparatively explore the links between...

Bringing together 17 articles by renowned scholars from around the globe, this volume offers a multi-dimensional view of comparative and world literature. Drawing on the scope of these scholars' collective intellects and insights, it connects disparate research contexts to illuminate the multi-dimensional views of related areas as we step into the third decade of the 21st century. The book will be of particular interest to scholars working in comparative literary and cultural studies and to readers interested in the future of literary studies in a cross-culturized world.