These essays by accomplished literary critics begin an examination of some of the most exciting new writing to emerge in Canada in the last four decades, following the postcolonial wave of immigration of the 1960s and 70s. Employing a variety of approaches and bringing together multiple concerns–ranging from the aesthetics of postmodernism to a re-examination of European colonialism; from the establishment and celebration of memory to a confrontation with racism; from the acceptance of exile to the uncovering of identities–this new body of writing collectively has redefined the idea of Canadian Literature, prompting the nation to look at itself anew.

Included in this volume are:

“Fielding Ondaatje: A Brief Look at the ‘Canadian’ Response’” –Aparna Halpé
“Caliban’s Voice: Marlene Nourbese Philip’s Poetic Response to Western Hegemonic Discourse” –H Nigel Thomas
“‘Beggaring the Nation’: Bodily Inscription and the Body Politic in Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance” –James W Johnson
“Diasporic Violences, Uneasy Friendships, and Hiromi Goto’s The Kappa Child” –Christine Kim
“Austin Clarke’s Poetic Turn” –Leslie Sanders
“Balancing in Silence: On Rienzi Crusz’s Engagement with Myth” –Aparna Halpé
“Postcolonial Mothering in Anita Rau Badami’s Tamarind Mem” –Asma Sayed
“Trauma and Melancholia in H Nigel Thomas’s Behind the Face of Winter and No Safeguards” –Dannabang Kuwabong
“Cyril Dabydeen’s Amazing Corpus” –Frank Birbalsingh
“In Times of Upheaval: Cheran’s Poetic Trajectory” –Chelva Kanaganayakam
“South Asian Poetry in Canada: In Search of a Place” –Arun Prabha Mukherjee