The essays collected in A Rich Field Full of Pleasant Surprises have been written by a number of lecturers from different Spanish universities in order to offer a picture of the current state of affairs in English Studies, covering the areas of Contemporary Literature, Postcolonial Studies, Feminist and Gender Studies, Globalization and Media, Film, Music, and Crime Fiction, among others. The essays comprised in this volume tackle theoretical issues as well as practical cases, showing the vitality and scholarly rigour of all kinds of literary and cultural manifestations worldwide, particularly within a European framework. The title of the book gives expression to the innovative and inspiring teaching of Professor Socorro Suárez Lafuente, to whom the collection is dedicated.