Sara Upstone

Peter Ely

Examining how British writers are addressing the urgent matter of how we form and express group belonging in the 21st century, this book brings together a range of international scholars to explore the ongoing crises, developments and possibilities inherent in the task of representing community in the present. Including an extended critical introduction that positions the individual chapters in relation to broader conceptual questions, chapters combine close reading and engagement with the latest theories and concepts to engage with the complex regionalities of the United Kingdom, with representation of writers from all parts of the UK including Northern Ireland. Including specific focus on the most challenging issues for community in the past five years, notably Brexit and the Covid-19 crisis, with a broader understanding of themes of local and national belonging, this book offers detailed discussions of writers including Ali Smith, Niall Griffiths, John McGregor, Max Porter, Amanda Craig, Bernadine Evaristo, Jonathan Coe, Bernie McGill, Jan Carson, Guy Gunaratne, Anthony Cartright, Barney Farmer, Maggie Gee and Sarah Hall. Demonstrating some of the resources that literature can offer for a renewed understanding of community, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in how British Literature contributes to our understanding of society in both the past and present, and how such understanding can potentially help us to shape the future.

From Blair to Brexit

Community in Contemporary British Fiction

A sadistic and surgically precise serial killer is wreaking havoc on the streets of Philadelphia. After six murders lead detective, John Harley, is struggling to crack the case and bring the killer, nicknamed the 'Butcher', to justice. As the body parts pile up, and the messages left at the crime scenes by the killer get more personal, Harley is stretched to breaking point. Rookie reporter, Ellen Turner, begins investigating the crime and inadvertently becomes the Butcher's next target. She and Harley must work together in order to trap the murderer and put a stop to the bloodshed. Will they be able to overcome past traumas, personal prejudices, and their own complicated relationship before it's too late?

Peter Ely

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