Great Britain underwent a series of unprecedented social, political and cultural changes throughout the twentieth-century, which were reflected in bold developments and experiments in contemporary British literature. Ashley Dawson identifies the key British writers and texts, shaped by era-defining cultural and historical events and movements from the period. He provides: Analysis of works by a diverse range of influential authors, including Conrad, Orwell, Mansfield, Orton and Lessing Examination of the cultural impact of crucial historical, political and cultural events such as the World Wars, Thatcherism and the Punk era Discussion of Britain's imperial status in the century and the diversification of the nation, through Black and Asian British Literature Highlights the literary impact of crucial social movements such as feminism, liberalism and anti-colonialism. Readers are also provided with a comprehensive timeline of publications and events, glossaries of terms and further reading, and explanatory text boxes featuring further information on key figures and events. The Routledge Companion to Twentieth-Century British Literaturedisplays a fresh and innovative picture of the period for anyone approaching the literature for the first time.