De-scribing empire

About this book

De-Scribing Empire is a stunning collection of first-rate essays that examine the textual fabric of colonialism and its legacy. Together they interpret the formative role of books, writing and textuality in imperial control and their role in fashioning colonial world-views. Foregrounding strategies of understanding and resistance, De-Scribing Empire places itself within a critical tradition of post-colonial studies. As a spirited collection of some of the newest critical thinking, De-Scribing Empire analyses the multifarious ways in which imperialism operated textually. The authors examine such issues as the power of cartography to elide and dislocate identities; the imperial role of 19th century children's literature; the place of the feminine in colonial power hierarchies; the racialist unease shrouding early twentieth century adventure fiction; the questions and implications of "authenticity"; and the contradictions and tribulations of teaching resistance literature in western educational institutions.