The Routledge Companion to Literature and the Global South

Book excerpt: "The Routledge Companion Literature and the Global South offers a comprehensive overview of the field at a key moment in its development-a snapshot of where Global South literary studies stands in its second decade. As the aftermath of a string of global cataclysms since the rise of neoliberal globalization has demonstrated, it is the poor, the disenfranchised, and the marginalized who consistently bear the brunt of the suffering. What defines the Global South is the recognition across the world that globalization's promised bounties have not materialized. It has failed as a global master narrative. Global South studies centers on three general areas: globalization, its aftermath/failure, and how those on the economic bottom survive it. Organized into three sections, this volume consists of original essays by 25 contributors from around the world. Part one focuses on the origins and objects of Global South studies, and how this field has come to define and historicize its organizing concept. Part two considers subsequent critical developments in Global South studies, particularly those that embrace interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. Part three features case studies which highlight a range of applications and interventions. The contributors critique the boundaries and definitions explored in the earlier sections, and push 'settled' literatures or methods into new analytical spaces. This innovative collection is an invaluable resource for anyone studying and researching global South studies and literature, but also those interested in world literature, contemporary literature, postcolonialism, decolonizing the curriculum, critical race studies, gender studies, and politics"--