Asylum

Book synopsis: The study of contemporary fiction is a fascinating yet challenging one. The immediate relevance of contemporary fiction and its place in popular culture, the news, contemporary literature and creative writing programs at Universities as well as scholarly organisations all show the popularity of contemporary fiction. But it offers equal challenges: what is "contemporary"? How do we track cultural shifts and changes? What is the relevance of contemporary fiction? The Routledge Companion to Twenty-First Century Literary Fiction takes on this challenge, mapping key literary trends from the year 2000 onwards, as the landscape of our century continues to take shape around us. A significant and central intervention into Contemporary Literature, this Companion offers essential coverage of writers who have risen to prominence since then, such as Hari Kunzru, Jennifer Egan, David Mitchell, Jonathan Lethem, Ali Smith, A. L. Kennedy, Hilary Mantel, Marilynne Robinson, and Colson Whitehead