Based on the best-selling Oxford Companion to English Literature, this is an indispensable, compact guide to all aspects of English literature. Over 5,500 entries give unrivalled coverage of writers, works, historical context, literary theory, allusions, characters, and plot summaries. Discursive feature entries supply a wealth of information about important genres in literature.

For the 3rd edition, the dictionary has been fully revised and updated. It now includes expanded coverage of world authors including notable authors in translation, coverage of new authors and titles, and new feature entries on short stories and metre. The appendices listing literary prize-winners, including the Nobel, Man Booker, and Pulitzer prizes, have all been updated. There is also a new timeline, chronicling the development of literature from its origins up to the present day.

Written originally by a team of more than 140 distinguished contributors working under prizewinning author Margaret Drabble's editorial direction, and extensively updated and expanded for this new edition, this book provides essential reference for English students, teachers, and all other readers of literature in English.