Brexit and the Migrant Voice

"This is a timely and highly relevant collection of essays that addresses the myriad ways in which Brexit has left its trace on imaginations of national and cultural belonging in European literature and writing. The voices gathered in this volume perform the crucial task of investigating and challenging the impact of the Brexit referendum on the relationship between Brexit Britain and literary and cultural traditions in Europe. Insightful and nuanced, often melancholic but also hopeful, these essays engage with the new cultural and political landscape as part of the legacy of that fateful day in June 2016 and offer ways of how to navigate and address it culturally. Brexit and the Migrant Voice argues that Brexit is not ‘done’ by a long way and while some of the wounds might be healing, the future of Britain and its relationship with Europe will be shaped by a sense of cultural wreckage and irrevocable loss. Coming together as a community and listening to the manifold voices gathered in this volume will help to navigate the trauma and prise open the doors that Brexit wants to shut close."

Dr Angelica Michelis, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

"This edited collection could not be more timely or relevant to the literary landscapes of both Britain and Europe. Addressing the cultural crisis and social instability in the troubled and troubling aftermath of BREXIT, chapters cover a broad range of materials and perspectives, from the diverse iterations of ‘migrature’ or ‘migrant literature’ produced in response to one of the most baffling political events in recent years, to the ways in which Brexit has been perceived and represented in European journalism.

Recording the voices of frequently forgotten European minorities, the collection’s multilingual scope and polyvocal narratives draw attention to the problematic marginalisation of European languages and literatures within Britain’s cultural industry, whilst, simultaneously, exposing narratives of resistance to Brexit from all corners of Europe."

Dr Monica Germanà, Reader in Gothic and Contemporary Studies, University of Westminster, UK

"As an EU migrant who has lived through Brexit and its aftermath, I highly recommend this compelling book and hope that it receives the acclaim and wide readership it richly deserves. One of the unique aspects about this book is its consistent focus on migrants' voices and perspectives, a dimension which has often been minimised in public and political debates over Brexit. As editor Christine Berberich states in her introduction, ‘it is this very contribution to national culture and the ensuing shaping of it that is an often-overlooked yet inestimably valuable contribution of EU migrants living and working in the UK’. This book features a range of diverse chapters providing powerful insight into the impact of Brexit on European migrant communities, and on literary and cultural production. An essential read for anyone interested in the human consequences of Brexit."

Dr Charlotte Beyer, Senior Lecturer in English Studies, University of Gloucestershire, UK