Some South and Southeast Asian countries with notable English language literatures include Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, and Sri Lanka.

Table of Contents:

Rate this Guide GETTING STARTED with Reference Sources Find Books and more in our Library Find articles Guides to Selected Works

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A reference book, such as an encyclopedia or dictionary, provides:

• A brief overview of the topic
• Significant names and dates associated with the topic
• Terminology specific to the topic
• Related subjects and terms which might be used when searching for books and articles
• Other sources where more information might be found

SELECTED REFERENCE SOURCES: Each of these works contains substantial sections on English language literature by East Indian and South Asian authors.

• Literary Criticism, Research & Bio-bibliographies

• Dictionary of children's fiction from Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and selected African countries : books of recognized merit / Helbig, Alethea.
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PR9084 .H45 1992
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• Encyclopaedia of Indian literature
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PK2902 .E53 1987
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• India in English fiction, 1800-1970;;an annotated bibliography / Gupta, Brijen Kishore, 1929-
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PR830.I6 G8
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• Indian literature in English : a checklist / Warwick, Ronald.
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PR9489.2 .W3
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• The Indian subcontinent in literature for children and young adults : an annotated bibliography of English-language books / Khorana, Meena.
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PN1009.A1 K476 1991
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• Who's who of Indian writers, 1983
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PK2908 .W49 1983
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• Language Dictionaries, Glossaries & Vocabularies

• Common Indian words in English / Hawkins, R. E.
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PE3502.I64 H39 1984
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• Hobson-Jobson;;a glossary of colloquial Anglo-Indian words and phrases, and of kindred terms, etymological, historical, geographical and discursive / Yule, Henry, Sir, 1820-1889.
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PE3501 .Y8 1968
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• Sahibs, nabobs, and boxwallahs, a dictionary of the words of Anglo-India / Lewis, Ivor.
  • Location: Haggard 2 -Reference PE3502.I64 L49 1991
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For more information, see the How to Use the Library Catalog Guide.

• Find books
• Find journals and magazines
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• Books
  Books are the most comprehensive and easiest to obtain sources of information. In the WWU Library Catalog, look up any books cited in your overview. To find additional materials, search by clicking on the subject headings listed in the record. Also, browse on the bookshelves in relevant call number areas.

• Keyword searching
  Select Keyword search from the Online Catalog. Break down your search by key concepts. For example, the Keyword search India and literature and English will retrieve the following book:

  Mehrotra, Arvind Krishna, ed. A history of Indian literature in English. New York : Columbia University Press, 2003.
  Call # PR9489.6 .H57 2003

  Use broader terms to expand your search. For example, the keyword search Commonwealth and literature will find books on English language literatures in countries that were part of the British Empire, including India. Try narrower terms to focus your search, depending on your topic. For example, try the keyword search India and women and authors.

• Subject searching
  Western Libraries Catalog uses Library of Congress Subject Headings. The library assigns subject headings to all materials listed in the online catalog. The following are selected subject headings relating to topics on East Indian and South Asian literature in English:

• Indic literature English
  Use Indic literature English as the main subject heading for works by East Indian and South Asian authors originally written in English.

• Some subheading examples:
  Indic Literature English -- Bibliography | Indic Literature English -- History and Criticism | Indic Literature English -- Women Authors

• Examples of related subjects:
  Anglo-Indian fiction | Anglo-Indian literature | Commonwealth literature (English) | English language -- India | Indic drama English | Indic fiction English | Indic poetry English | Oriental literature (English) | Philippine literature (English) | Short stories Indic English

Here are two journals providing articles on topics about Indian and South Asian literature:

• Guide to Indian periodical literature
  • Check Catalog

• Indian literature
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• Literary History & Criticism

• Collections, with Introductory Essays

• Prose, Poetry & Drama
  Representative 20th Century Indic Authors

• Books of South Asian Writers Writing in English
  Offers information on South Asian English literature, presented by Murali Damodaran for the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

• Contemporary Postcolonial and Postimperial Literature in English: Literature in English from South Asia (the Indian Subcontinent and "Greater India")
  A part of Contemporary Postcolonial and Postimperial Literature in English, "a collection of materials on recent postcolonial and postimperial literature in English," compiled by George P. Landow, Professor of English and Art History, Brown University. This section presents recent literature in English from authors of Bangladesh, Burma, India and Pakistan. Discusses the geographic, historical, political, economic, and religious context in which Indian authors wrote and includes critical interpretations of Indian literature.

• Indian Writers in English
  "The Week" magazine presents information about Indian writers who write in English. Biographical sketches and photographs of such authors as Amitav Ghosh (1956- ), Rohinton Mistry (1952- ), Upamany Chatterjee (1956- ), and others are available.

• Indo-Anglian Fiction: Writing India, Elite Aesthetics, and the Rise of the Stephanian Novel
  Presents "Indo-Anglian Fiction: Writing India, Elite Aesthetics, and the Rise of the 'Stephanian' Novel," an article written by Leela Gandhi and published originally in the November 1997 issue of the "Australian Humanities Review." Discusses the success of the Indian novel in English.

• Internet Resources: India
  World Cultures is a collection of Internet and other resources designed for freshman-level students by Richard Hooker, Paul Brians, and Richard Hines. This collection of Internet resources concerning India is presented as part of the World Cultures collection. The topics covered include history, philosophy, art, literature, religion, and more.

• Sawnet Bookshelf: Books by and for South Asian Women
  Published by South Asian Women's Network (SAWNET). Presents a list of books by and for south Asian women, provided by the South Asian Women's Network (SAWNET). Includes fiction and poetry, book reviews, descriptions of the books, and photographs of some of the authors. Notes that some of the entries include a chapter from the book. Links to sites of related interest.

• Voice of the Shuttle: English Literature: Other Literatures in English: Subcontinental (South Asian)
  Extensive site created and maintained by Alan Liu and a development team at the University of California, Santa Barbara English Department. Might be the most comprehensive Humanities resource. Presents links to general resources in subcontinental literature, literary criticism, and collections of sites on important individual South Asian authors. Offers access to sites on other literatures written in English.

• World Literatures in English: Resources at Western Libraries

• Summit
  Summit is the combined library catalog of Pacific Northwest academic libraries. Use Summit to locate and request materials like books and videos which are not available from Western Libraries. To access Summit, search our library catalog first, then choose the option to “Repeat search in Summit”.

• Interlibrary Loan
  Use Interlibrary Loan to request items not held in our collection. To learn more or to access Interlibrary Loan, go to http://www.library.wwu.edu/access/ill/index.shtml. First time users will need to set up an account at http://www.illiad.library.wwu.edu/ILLiad/firsttime.asp.
  • How to set up an Interlibrary Loan account
  • Retrieving an article you requested