脱欧文学:当代英国小说研究的新方向

BrexLit Studies: A New Direction in Contemporary British Novel Studies

脱欧文学(BrexLit)是一类新兴文学类型,集中出现在2016年至今的英国文坛,特别是英国小说领域。其名称由"英国脱欧"(Brexit)和"文学"(literature)两词组合而成,由英国学者克里斯蒂安·肖于2018年首先公开提出。植根于英国历史文化传统,受到2016年英国脱欧事件的触发,以小说为代表的一系列脱欧文学作品直接回应或间接影射了英国退出欧盟的历史史实,同时探讨了英国脱欧后产生的诸多社会、文化、经济、种族和世界主义发展问题,其常涉及的文学话题包括国家身份、情感、共同体构建等。通过分析脱欧文学产生的历史背景以及脱欧小说的创作特点、主题与内涵,广大读者和文学评论家可以更深刻地理解当代英国小说发展的现状及其与英国当下社会政治文化间的关系。

BrexLit appeared as a new literary genre in British writings in 2016, particularly in the feld of novels. The term BrexLit is a contraction of Brexit and literature. It was coined by a British scholar, Kristian Shaw, in 2018. Rooted in the British historical and cultural traditions and triggered by the Brexit in 2016, a series of BrexLit works, featured by novels, not only explicitly respond to or imaginatively allude to Britain’s exit from the European Union, but also explore the subsequent socio, cultural, economic, ethnic and cosmopolitan issues caused by the Brexit. The themes that BrexLit works often investigate include national identity, emotion and the construction of community, etc. Through exploring both the historical background of BrexLit and the features, topics and essence of BrexLit novels, readers and literary critics will be able to have a better understanding of the characteristics of contemporary British novels, as well as their relationship with the current British social-political culture.