Transcultural Insights into Contemporary Irish Literature and Society
examines the transcultural patterns that have been enriching Irish lit-
erature since the twentieth century and engages with the ongoing dia-
logue between contemporary Irish literature and society. Driven by the
growing interest in transcultural studies in the humanities, this volume
provides an insightful analysis of how Irish literature handles the delicate
balance between authenticity and folklore, and uniformisation and diver-
sity in an increasingly globalised world. Following a diachronic approach,
the volume includes critical readings of canonical Irish literature as an
uncharted exchange of intercultural dialogues. The text also explores the
external and internal transcultural traits present in recent Irish literature,
and its engagement with social injustice and activism, and discusses loca-
tion and mobility as vehicles for cultural transfer and the advancement
of the women’s movement. A final section also includes an examination
of literary expressions of hybridisation, diversity and assimilation to
scrutinise negotiations of new transcultural identities. In the light of the
compiled contributions, the volume ends with a revisitation of Irish studies
in a world in which national identity has become increasingly problem-
atic. This volume presents new insights into the fictional engagement of
contemporary Irish literature with political, social and economic issues,
and its efforts to accommodate the local and the global, resulting in a re-
shaping of national collective imaginaries.
