Introduction: Charting the Evolution of English and Anglophone Writing in Asia

Abstract

This introductory article explores the history of the English language and literatures in the Asian ‘Outer Circle’ countries, or English in its ‘second diaspora’, focusing primarily on literature from its beginnings to the present. Due to space limitations, the scope is further narrowed to poetry and the novel – the two genres that, arguably, have come to dominate the tradition. It examines achievements in these two genres across eight countries covered in this special issue, highlighting how the tradition has evolved from the colonial period through postcolonial times to the current era of globalisation. It also briefly introduces the 14 articles from two Asian regions – South Asia and Southeast Asia – included in this bumper double issue of the journal.