"This book has grown out of a felt-need to rethink and re-evaluate the forces that have been at work shaping the literature of the last decade of the century--literature written in english. There is no denying that what had largely emerged as insurgent writing, especially focusing on the socio-political realities of our country, has today gained wider ground, acceptability and acclaim. It has become a vehicle of articulating awareness, voicing dissatisfaction and reviewing historical and philosophical truths. In its long-strided progress Indian writing in english has not overlooked the literary canons and in the directions it has taken, it has created not only a niche for itself but also made a discernible mark on literary theory. The essays included in this volume represent the multiple ways in which we view our literature."