The Routledge Companion to Literature and Feminism

The Routledge Companion to Literature and Feminism brings unique literary, critical, and historical perspectives to the relationship between womens writing and womens rights in British contexts from the late eighteenth century to the present. Thematically organised around five central conceptsRights, Networks, Bodies, Production, and Activismthe Companion tracks vital questions and debates, offering fresh perspectives on changing priorities and enduring continuities in relation to womens ongoing struggle for liberty and equality. This groundbreaking collection brings into focus the historical and cultural conditions which have shaped the formation of British literary feminisms, including the legacies of slavery, colonialism, and Empire. From the political novel of the 1790s to early twentieth-century suffrage theatre and contemporary ecofeminism, and from the mid-Victorian antislavery movement to anti-fascist activism in the 1930s and working-class womens writing groups in the 1980s, this book testifies to the diverse and dynamic character of the relationship between literature and feminism. Featuring contributions from leading feminist scholars, the Companion offers new insights into the crucial role played by womens literary production in the evolving history of womens rights discourses, feminist activism, and movements for gender equality. It will appeal to students and scholars in the fields of womens writing, British literature, cultural history, and gender and feminist studies.