A unique combination of biography and critical analysis, covering major writers from outside the United States and their significant works in fiction, drama, poetry, and nonfiction. A companion to the award-winning Critical Survey of American Literature, this comprehensive, six-volume set profiles major authors of fiction, drama, poetry, and essays, each with sections on biography, general analysis, and analysis of the author’s most important works—novels, short stories, poems, and works of nonfiction. The completely updated edition covers 400 writers at the heart of literary studies, and now, volumes will be arranged by world region.

This edition includes new coverage of contemporary authors from around the globe. Among the new authors profiled in this set are such well-known authors as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Aravind Adiga, Reinaldo Arenas, J.G. Ballard, Alberto Fuguet, Marlon James, Yann Martel, Patrick Modiano, Orhan Pamuk, Will Self and Jorge Volpi. The literary scope of this reference work is remarkable. Plus, many original essays have been revised. The Biography, Analysis, and Summary sections are updated to include recent developments, and essays have newly updated bibliographies to provide readers with the latest information on the author’s works and sources for further consultation.

All essays include Discussion Topics, provocative questions that will prompt classroom debates on the writer’s body of work, specific works, or life as it relates to his or her literature. Aimed at students, teachers, and members of reading groups, they can be used as paper topics or conversation points. In addition, phonetic pronunciation is provided for an author’s foreign-language or unusual last name, and a Pronunciation Key appears at the beginning of all six volumes. Five helpful features can be found at the end of each volume: a Glossary; a Category List that groups authors by genre, country, gender, and ethnic identity; an Author Index that lists all authors covered in the set along with their works; a Title Index of all works covered in the set; and a Geographical List which groups the authors by country.