The Language of Postcolonial Literatures - New and Noteworthy - includes review of 'Irish and Postcolonial Writing: History, Theory, Practice' - Book Review

Contemporary Review, Dec, 2002

Two other new releases, both dealing with post-colonial literature, are Ismail S. Talib's The Language of Postcolonial Literatures: An Introduction ([pounds sterling]50.00) from ROUTLEDGE and Irish and Postcolonial Writing: History. Theory, Practice ([pounds sterling]47.50) edited by Glenn Hooper and Colin Graham and published by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN.

In the first title Prof. Talib looks at the way in which the English language has played 'an important part in the aesthetic realisation of postcolonial literatures' and has also been involved in the 'attempt to realise a national identity' in former British colonies. He discusses the conflict between English and native languages and warns that an over-dependence on English could endanger the native tongues that form the basis of postcolonial literature written in English. In Irish and Postcolonial Writing the eleven contributing essayists look at the effect of Ireland's role as a British 'colony' on Irish literature. The first part looks at the various theories i nvolved in this study while the second offers five essays comparing the Irish experience with those outside Ireland. The final section offers three 'readings' or general discussions of the topic. The collection is something of a curate's egg and some of the essays, it must be said, seem to trail off into rather bizarre fields of modem learning.