This major new collection of texts by Helene Cixous brings together a range of important untranslated as well as four previously unpublished essays. These essays deal with literature, politics, history, Algeria, and the university and include works from Cixous' most significant contributions to literary criticism (Joyce, Kleist, Stendhal, Kafka, Shakespeare) as well as her contemporary writing on human rights and geo-politics. They are all informed by Cixous' unique gift for combining a writer's love of idiom and life with a scholar's acute deconstructive reading. These texts present an extended account of what Cixous calls here 'autobibliography' in which writing, theory, politics and life combine to open up the world through critical reading and self-reflection. 'I am on the side of life', says Cixous. These essays affirm Cixous' reputation as one of our greatest readers and sources of critical light in the world today. Key Features *Author is a leading French theorist and writer *Essays cover a wide range of topics and contemporary issues