Synopses & Reviews
Contemporary British Literature and Urban Space distils the possibilities for a new way of thinking about space and identity that challenges the seemingly innocuous methods of spatial acquisition and ownership that are inherently tied to Thatcherite notions of privatization. With this in mind, Kim Duff's study examines how Iain Sinclair, Julian Barnes, Irvine Welsh, JG Ballard, Monica Ali, Hanif Kureishi, Alan Hollinghurst, and Will Self write, and rewrite, the city as they capture, subvert, and uncover the tensions inherent in the transformation of British urban space by proposing an understanding of alternative spaces (including the new spatial possibilities of television and communications technology) and emergent citizens, identities, and communities that developed, and continue to develop, as a result of Thatcherism.
Synopsis
Looking at writers such as Will Self, Hani Kureishi, JG Ballard, and Iain Sinclair, Kim Duff's new book examines contemporary British literature and its depiction of the city after the time of Thatcher and mass privatization. This lively study is an important and engaging work for students and scholars alike.
About the Author
Kim Duff is currently an Affiliate Instructor at the University of British Columbia, Canada. Her research interests include contemporary British fiction, Culture Studies, urban spatial theory, Thatcherism, postcolonial theory, and avant garde poetics. In addition to academic research, she has also published two books of poetry and runs a small chapbook press called Heavy Industries. More details about Kim Duff's research and creative interests, as well as teaching and publication history, can be found at www.kimaduff.com.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Spatial Turn: Dialectics of Space and Identity
1.'The Script That Has Been Eradicated from the Street': Iain Sinclair's Lights Out for the Territory, Julian Barnes's England England, and the Spaces of English Heritage
2.'House Arrest': Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, JG Ballard's High Rise, Thatcherite Council Estates, and the New Under-Class
3.Space, Production, and Identity: Monica Ali's Brick Lane, Hanif Kureihi's My Beautifult Laundrette, and Powellite Englishness
4.The Spaces of the Thatcherite Body: Alan Hollinghurst's The Line of Beauty and Will Self's Dorian
Conclusion
End Notes
Works Cited
Index