Compatriots or Competitors?

Hywel Dix

Description

This is the first comparative study of the distinctive literatures and cultures that have developed in Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland since political devolution in the late 1990s, especially surrounding Brexit. The book argues that in conceptualising their cultures as ‘national’, each nation is caught up in a creative tension between emulating forms of cultural production found in the others to assert common aspirations, and downplaying those connections in order to forge a sense of cultural distinctiveness. The author explores the resulting dilemmas, with chapters analysing the growth of the creative industries; the relationship between UK City of Culture and its forerunner, the European Capital of Culture; national book prizes in Britain and Europe; British variations on Nordic Noir TV; and the Brexit novel. With regard to separate cultural precursors and responses in each nation, Brexit itself is debated as a factor that has widened their differences, placing the future of the UK in question.

List of Illustrations
Introduction: Compatriots or Competitors?
Chapter 1: From Counter Culture to Creative Industries
Chapter 2: The Cultural Capital of Capitals of Culture
Chapter 3: Imaging Northern Europe: British Varieties of Nordic Noir
Chapter 4: Aspiration by Proxy: National Book Awards in International Markets
Chapter 5: Brexit and Beyond
Afterword: Brexit and Coronavirus
References

Sujets

• Literary Criticism
• Reino Unido
• United Kingdom
• Irish
• English
• Great Britain
• European
• Welsh
• Scottish
• Royaume-Uni

Informations

• Publié par: University of Wales Press
• Date de parution: 15 novembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781786839350
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 10 Mo

Extrait

Compatriots or Competitors?

WRITING WALES IN ENGLISH

CREWserîes o Crîtîcal and Scholarly Studîes General Edîtors: Kîrstî Bohata and Danîel G. Wîllîams (CREW, Swansea Unîversîty)

ThîsCREWserîes îs dedîcated to Emyr Humphreys, a major figure în the lîterary culture o modern Wales, a oundîng patron o theCentre or Research înto the Englîsh Lîterature and Language o Wales. Grateul thanks are due to the late Rîchard Dynevor or makîng thîs serîes possîble.

Other titles in the series Stephen Knîght,A Hundred Years o Fîctîon(978-0-7083-1846-1) Barbara Prys-Wîllîams,Twentîeth-Century Autobîography(978-0-7083-1891-1) Kîrstî Bohata,Postcolonîalîsm Revîsîted(978-0-7083-1892-8) Chrîs Wîggînton,Modernîsm rom the Margîns(978-0-7083-1927-7) Lînden Peach,Contemporary Irîsh and Welsh Women’s Fîctîon(978-0-7083-1998-7) Sarah Prescott,Eîghteenth-Century Wrîtîng rom Wales: Bards and Brîtons(978-0-7083-2053-2) Hywel Dîx,Ater Raymond Wîllîams: Cultural Materîalîsm and the Break-Up o Brîtaîn (978-0-7083-2153-9) Matthew Jarvîs,Welsh Envîronments în Contemporary Welsh Poetry(978-0-7083-2152-2) Harrî Garrod Roberts,Embodyîng Identîty: Representatîons o the Body în Welsh Lîterature (978-0-7083-2169-0) Dîane Green,Emyr Humphreys: A Postcolonîal Novelîst(978-0-7083-2217-8) M. Wynn Thomas,In the Shadow o the Pulpît: Lîterature and Nonconormîst Wales (978-0-7083-2225-3) Lînden Peach,The Fîctîon o Emyr Humphreys: Contemporary Crîtîcal Perspectîves (978-0-7083-2216-1) Danîel Westover,R. S. Thomas: A Stylîstîc Bîography(978-0-7083-2413-4) Jasmîne Donahaye,Whose People? Wales, Israel, Palestîne(978-0-7083-2483-7) Judy Kendall,Edward Thomas: The Orîgîns o Hîs Poetry(978-0-7083-2403-5) Damîan Walord Davîes,Cartographîes o Culture: New Geographîes o Welsh Wrîtîng în Englîsh(978-0-7083-2476-9) Danîel G. Wîllîams,Black Skîn, Blue Books: Arîcan Amerîcans and Wales 1845–1945 (978-0-7083-1987-1) Andrew Webb,Edward Thomas and World Lîterary Studîes: Wales, Anglocentrîsm and Englîsh Lîterature(978-0-7083-2622-0) Alyce von Rothkîrch,J. O. Francîs, realîst drama and ethîcs: Culture, place and natîon (978-1-7831-6070-9) Rhîan Baroot,Lîberatîng Dylan Thomas: Rescuîng a Poet rom Psycho-Sexual Servîtude (978-1-7831-6184-3) Danîel G. Wîllîams,Wales Unchaîned: Lîterature, Polîtîcs and Identîty în the Amerîcan Century(978-1-7831-6212-3) M. Wynn Thomas,The Natîons o Wales 1890–1914(978-1-78316-837-8) Rîchard McLauchlan,Saturday’s Sîlence: R. S. Thomas and Paschal Readîng(978-1-7831-6920-7) Bethan M. Jenkîns,Between Wales and England: Anglophone Welsh Wrîtîng o the Eîghteenth Century(978-1-7868-3029-6) M. Wynn Thomas,All that îs Wales: The Collected Essays o M. Wynn Thomas (978-1-7868-3088-3) Laura Waînwrîght,New Terrîtorîes în Modernîsm: Anglophone Welsh Wrîtîng, 1930–1949 (978-1-7868-3217-7) Sîrîol McAvoy,Locatîng Lynette Roberts: ‘Always Observant and Slîghtly Obscure’ (978-1-7868-3382-2) Lînden Peach,Pacîfism, Peace and Modern Welsh Wrîtîng(978-1-7868-3402-7) Kîeron Smîth,John Ormond’s Organîc Mosaîc(978-1-7868-3488-1) Georgîa Burdett and Sarah Morse (eds),Fîght and Flîght: Essays on Ron Berry (978-1-7868-3528-4) M. Wynn Thomas,Eutopîa: Studîes în Cultural Euro-Welshness, 1850–1980(978-1-78683-614-4) Lînden Peach,Anîmals, Anîmalîty and Controversy în Modern Welsh Lîterature and Culture (978-1-78683-937-4)

Compatriots or Competitors?

Welsh, Scottish, English and Northern Irish Writing and Brexit in Comparative Contexts

WRITING WALES IN ENGLISH

Hywel Dix

UNIVERSITY OF WALES PRESS 2022

© Hywel Dîx, 2022

All rîghts reserved. No part o thîs book may be reproduced în any materîal orm (încludîng photocopyîng or storîng ît în any medîum by electronîc means and whether or not transîently or încîdentally to some other use o thîs publîcatîon) wîthout the wrîtten permîssîon o the copyrîght owner. Applîcatîons or the copyrîght owner’s wrîtten permîssîon to reproduce any part o thîs publîcatîon should be addressed to the Unîversîty o Wales Press, Unîversîty Regîstry, Kîng Edward VII Avenue, Cardîf CF10 3NS.

www.uwp.co.uk

Brîtîsh Lîbrary CIP Data A catalogue record or thîs book îs avaîlable rom the Brîtîsh Lîbrary.

ISBN: 978-1-78683-934-3 e-ISBN: 978-1-78683-935-0

The rîght o Hywel Dîx to be îdentîfied as author o thîs work has been asserted în accordance wîth sectîons 77 and 79 o the Copyrîght, Desîgns and Patents Act 1988.

The publisher acknowledges the financial support of the Books Council of Wales.

Typeset by Marîe Doherty Prînted by CPI Antony Rowe, Melksham

Serîes Edîtors’ Preace Acknowledgements Lîst o Illustratîons

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Introductîon: Compatrîots or Competîtors?

1

2

3

4

5

From Counter-Culture to Creatîve Industrîes

The Cultural Capîtal o Capîtals o Culture

Imagîng Northern Europe: Brîtîsh Varîetîes o Nordîc Noîr

Aspîratîon by Proxy: Natîonal Book Awards în Internatîonal Markets

Brexît and Beyond

Aterword: Brexît and Coronavîrus

Reerences Index

vîî xî xîîî

1

19

63

109

167

229

283

289 311

Series EDitors’ Preface

The aîm o thîs serîes, sînce îts oundîng în 2004 by Proessor M. Wynn Thomas, îs to publîsh scholarly and crîtîcal work by establîshed specîalîsts and younger scholars that reflects the rîchness and var- îety o the Englîsh-language lîterature o modern Wales. The studîes publîshed so ar have amply demonstrated that concepts, models and dîscourses current în the best contemporary studîes can îllumînate aspects o Welsh culture, and have also oregrounded the potentîal o the Welsh example to draw attentîon to themes that are oten neglected or margînalîsed în anglophone cultural studîes. The serîes defines and explores that whîch dîstînguîshes Wales’s anglophone lîterature, challenges crîtîcs to develop methods and approaches adequate to the task o înterpretîng Welsh culture, and învîtes îts readers to locate the process o wrîtîng Wales în Englîsh wîthîn com- paratîve and transnatîonal contexts.

Proessor Kîrstî Bohata and Proessor Danîel G. Wîllîams Foundîng Edîtor: Proessor M. Wynn Thomas (2004–15) CREW (Centre or Research înto the Englîsh Lîterature and Language o Wales) Swansea Unîversîty

For Rosîe, a true Welsh European. I am wrîtîng thîs whîle lîstenîng to you sîng and you fill my heart wîth joy.