Oceania Literature Selection. Revised Edition

Author: Chen Zhengfa, edited by Zhang Ming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Among the vast world of literature, Oceania literature is one of the youngest regional literatures. Even if we date its earliest literary beginnings, it has only been around 200 years so far, with some countries' literatures having only a few decades of history. It cannot be compared to Europe and Asia on the same day, nor can it be equated with the Americas. Perhaps because of its short history and inexperience, it seems to hold little position in the world literary scene. However, as one of the five continents of the world, Oceania, in my opinion, should receive due attention, because this literature genuinely reflects the social, cultural, historical, and national spirit of a vast region. Oceania literature can be broadly divided into two aspects: one is the literature of Australia and New Zealand, and the other is the English literature of countries in the South Pacific, such as Papua New Guinea, Western Samoa, and Fiji. Although its development history is not long, it has achieved remarkable accomplishments in a short period, giving rise to a group of "world-class" literary masters, such as Henry Lawson, Henry Handel Richardson, Martin Boyd, Christina Stead, A.D. Hope, Patrick White, Thomas Keneally, Katherine Mansfield, Frank Sargeant, and Janet Frame. Among them, Patrick White even won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973. Contemporary Australian "new novelists" like Peter Carey and Michael Wilding have further integrated into the Western modernist literary trend, becoming new stars on the international literary stage. When we study and research foreign literature, we cannot avoid engaging with the general outline of the literatures of these countries, as well as their major writers and works.