Precarity in Contemporary Literature and Culture

Emily J. Hogg, Peter Simonsen

"The contemporary moment is characterized by precarity -- an expanding and intensifying vulnerability conditioned by political and economic structures. Using literary and cultural texts to develop a nuanced and critical exploration of the concept of precarity that emphasizes its contemporary manifestations, this book examines the vulnerabilities behind our anxious existence: unemployment, environmental crisis, temporary contracts and patterns of migration, all whilst attending to its historical roots and existential dimensions. Broken down into three key themes of feelings, bodies and time, Precarity in Contemporary Literature and Culture probes whether the concept can be considered a new phenomenon; explores the relationship between precarity and traditional class politics; analyses precarity's global dimensions; and reflects on the links between contemporary crisis, and underlying...