This renowned resource provides unrivalled coverage of all aspects of English literature, from writers, their works, and the historical and cultural context in which they wrote, to critics, literary theory, allusions, and characters. For the seventh edition, the Companion has been thoroughly revised and updated, with over 1,000 new entries that offer increased coverage of American literature, popular genres such as children's literature and science fiction, the literature of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and much more. All entries have been reviewed, details of new works, biographies, and criticism have been brought right up to date, and the cross-referencing has been thoroughly updated, with stronger linking from writers to thematic and conceptual entries. The seventh edition of this classic Companion, now under the joint editorship of Dinah Birch and Margaret Drabble--assisted by a team of 28 distinguished associate editors, and over 150 contributors--ensures that it retains its status as the most authoritative, informative, and accessible guide to literature available.