Here are some suggested subject headings to use when searching the Western Libraries Online Catalog for materials on English literature from the United Kingdom.
 

Use British Literature as the main subject heading for works in English from Great Britain. Use the subject heading English Literature for a broader approach to all literature in the English language.
Subheading examples: British Literature -- 19th Century history and criticism British Literature -- Dictionaries British Literature -- Women authors English Literature -- 18th Century -- history and criticism English literature -- Early modern 1500-1700 English literature -- Scottish authors	Examples of related subjects: Anglo-Norman literature Children's literature -- English English drama English poetry -- Scottish authors Fantasy literature -- English Postcolonialism -- England Scottish literature Women Authors -- English

Contents: Biographical Sources | Literary Criticism, Book Reviews & Plot Summaries | Literary Research & Bibliographies | Historical Collections | Language Dictionaries

Biographical Sources

Bell, Inglis Freeman and Jennifer Gallup. A Reference Guide to English, American and Canadian Literature : An Annotated Checklist of Bibliographical and Other Reference Materials. Vancouver : U of British Columbia P, 1971.
Ref PR 85 .B44

Benstock, Bernard and Thomas F. Staley, eds. British Mystery and Thriller Writers since 1940, First Series. Detroit, MI : Gale Research, 1989.
Ref. PN 451 .D54 v. 87

Bloom, Abigail Burnham, ed. Nineteenth-century British Women Writers: A Bio-bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000.
Ref. PR 115 .N55 2000

Daiches, David, ed. The Penguin Companion to English Literature. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971.
Ref. PN 41 .P43 v.3
A dictionary covering British and Irish Literature, and Commonwealth literature in English.

Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford. ?1882-1953. 22 volumes and  supplements.
Ref. DA 28 D45
Major guide to British writers who are no longer living. Scholarly articles are signed by their authors and include bibliographies.

Hammill, Faye, Esme Miskimmin and Ashlie Sponenberg, eds. Encyclopedia of British women's writing, 1900-1950. Basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006.
Ref. PR111 .E55 2006
"This unique reference work is the first book to concentrate on early twentieth-century women's writing. It includes detailed entries on 185 authors, ranging from the canonical (Dorothy Richardson, Rebecca West, Virginia Woolf) through the popular (Agatha Christie, Nancy Mitford, Beatrix Potter) to the largely forgotten (Olive Moore, Barbara Comyns, Winifred Watson). The book draws together information and references relating to a group of fascinating authors in need of rediscovery, opening up new avenues of research for students, teachers and researchers. The encyclopedia also provides contextualising material, with 76 concise introductions to literary and historical events. Topics covered include Bloomsbury, Children's Literature, Libraries, Fashion and Youth Culture, Sexology, Mass Observation, Education and the Welfare State. An integral time line provides a framework for the entries, and a detailed bibliography of 100 books (including criticism, history, reference, and anthologies) is an invaluable point of reference."

Harris-Fain, Darren, ed. British Fantasy and Science-fiction Writers before World War I. Detroit : Gale Research, 1997.
Ref. PN 451 .D54 v. 178

Harris-Fain, Darren, ed. British Fantasy and Science-fiction Writers, 1918-1960. Detroit : Gale Group, 2002.
Ref. PN 451 .D54 v. 255

Harris-Fain, Darren, ed. British Fantasy and Science-fiction Writers since 1960. Detroit : Gale Group, 2002.
Ref. PN 451 .D54 v. 261

Kastan, David Scott, ed. The Oxford encyclopedia of British literature. Oxford : Oxford U P, 2006.
Ref. PR19 .O95 2006 v. 1-5

Kunitz, Stanley and Howard Haycraft eds. British Authors Before 1800, a Biographical Dictionary. New York: H. W. Wilson. 1952.
Ref. PR 105 K9
Biographies and portraits of writers from the beginnings of English literature to the end of the 19th century.

Kunitz, Stanley and Howard Haycraft eds. British Authors of the Nineteenth Century. New York: H. W. Wilson, 1936.
Ref. PR 451 K8
Biographies and portraits of writers from the beginnings of English literature to the end of the 19th century.

Macdonald, Gina, ed. British Mystery and Thriller Writers since 1960. Detroit : Gale Group, 2003.
Ref. PN 451 .D54 v. 276

Molino, Michael R., ed. Twenty-first-century British and Irish Novelists. Detroit : Gale, 2003.
Ref. PN 451 .D54 v. 267

Moseley, Merritt, ed. British and Irish Novelists Since 1960. Detroit : Gale Group, 2003.
Ref. PN 451 .D54 v. 271

Moss, Joyce. British and Irish Literature and Its Times : The Victorian Era to the Present (1837-). Detroit : Gale Group, 2001.
Ref. PR 471 .M65 2001

Moss, Joyce and Lorraine Valestuk. British and Irish Literature and Its Times : Celtic Migrations to the Reform Bill (Beginnings-1830s). Detroit : Gale Group, 2001.
Ref. PR 25 .M67 2001

Parini, Jay, ed. British Writers. Retrospective Supplement VII [i.e., II]. New York : C. Scribner's Sons, 2002.
Ref. PR 85 .B688 Retro Suppl. 2

Royle, Trevor. Companion to Scottish Literature. Detroit : Gale Research, 1983.
PR 8506 .R69 1983

Schlueter, Paul and June Schlueter, eds. An Encyclopedia of British Women Writers. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers U P, 1998.
Ref. PR 111 .E54 1998.

Scott-Kilvert, Ian, ed. British Writers. New York: Scribner, 1979-84. 8 volumes and supplements.
Ref. PR 85 B688
Literary biographies of authors past and present. Includes bibliographies and index.

Shelton, Pamela L., ed. Contemporary Women Poets. Detroit: St. James, 1998.
Ref. PS 151 .C67 1997
An historical bio-bibliographic dictionary of women poets from English-speaking countries.

Sherry, Vincent B., Jr., ed. Poets of Great Britain and Ireland Since 1960. Detroit : Gale Research, 1985.
Ref. PN 451 .D54 v. 40 pt. 1 and 2
Part of the Dictionary of Literary Biography series. Biographical entries with bibliographies, history and criticism of works of English poetry by British and Irish authors.

Stephens, Meic, ed. The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales. Oxford : Oxford U P, 1986.
Ref. PB 2202 .O94 1986

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Literary Criticism, Book Reviews & Plot Summaries

For help finding book reviews, see the Western Libraries "How-To" Guide, How to Locate Book Reviews.

Dillane, Fionnuala and Ronan Kelly, eds. New voices in Irish criticism 4. Dublin : Four Courts, 2003.
PR8714 .N48 2003

Janik, Vicki K. and Del Ivan Janik, eds. Modern British women writers : an A-to-Z guide. Westport, CT : Greenwood, 2002.
Ref. PR116 .M63 2002

Paddock, Lisa and Carl Rollyson. The Brontės A to Z : the essential reference to their lives and work. New York : Facts On File, 2003.
Ref. PR4168 .P28 2003

Peach, Linden. The contemporary Irish novel : critical readings. New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.
PR8803 .P43 2004

Pouparad, Dennis, ed. Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800. Detroit : Gale Research, 1984-.
Ref. PN 86 L53
Excerpts from criticism of the works of 15th to 18th century novelists, poets, playwrights, philosophers and other creative writers. Contains critical appraisals from those first published to current evaluations.

Punter, David, ed. A Companion to the Gothic. Oxford : Blackwell, 2000.
Ref. PR 830 .T3 C65 2000

Shakespearean Criticism. Detroit : Gale Research, 1984-.
Ref. PR 2965 S43 1984
Volumes 1-10 of the series offer a broad range of interpretations and present an historical overview of the critical response to each Shakespearean work. Beginning with volume 11 historical stage plays and film productions are reviewed and evaluated.

Shattock, Joanne, ed. The Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. 3rd. ed. Cambridge : Cambridge U P, 1999-.
Ref. PR 85 .W382 1999 v. 4

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Literary Research & Bibliographies

Baker, Nancy L. and Nancy Huling. A research guide for undergraduate students : English and American literature. New York : Modern Language Association of America, 2006.
Ref. PR56 .B34 2006
"For nearly twenty-five years A Research Guide for Undergraduate Students has helped students avoid the pitfalls of conducting library research for term papers and theses. Updated and revised, the sixth edition shows undergraduates how to use their research time efficiently and how to locate and evaluate material available from electronic databases and the Internet."

Beasley, Jerry C. English Fiction, 1660-1800 : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1978.
Ref. PR 851 .B4
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Covers the early modern and 18th century periods. Includes indexes.

Bracken, James K. Reference Works in British and American Literature. Englewood, CO : Libraries Unlimited, 1990. 2 volumes.
Ref. PR 83 B731990
Detailed and critical two volume set is an annotated bibliography of general reference works. 500 entries categorized by form, genre or period are described and evaluated. Contains author, title and subject indexes.

Conolly, L. W. and J.P. Wearing. English Drama and Theatre, 1800-1900. Detroit : Gale Research, 1978.
Ref. PR 721 .C58
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Covers 19th century theater in Great Britain. Includes indexes.

Eagle, Dorothy and Hilary Carnell, eds. The Oxford Illustrated Literary Guide to Great Britain and Ireland. New York : Oxford U P, 1981.
Ref. PR 109 E18 1981
Lists and describes places associated with authors. The index of authors link their biographical sketch with locations.

Garside, Peter, James Raven and Rainer Schöwerling, eds. The English Novel, 1770-1829 : A Bibliographical Survey of Prose Fiction Published in the British Isles. Oxford : Oxford U P, 2000.
Ref. PR 851 .E52 2000 v. 1-2

Heninger, S. K., Jr. English Prose, Prose Fiction, and Criticism to 1660 : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1975.
Ref. PR 1281 .H42
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Covers Middle English and early modern English prose literature. Includes indexes.

Howard-Hill, Trevor H. Index to British Literary Bibliography. New York : Oxford U P, 1969-<1987.
Ref. PR 83 H6
Records bibliographical works about British textual and bibliographical history in monographs or as articles. Provides assistance in research on obscure literary writers and subjects.

Link, Frederick M. English Drama, 1660-1800 : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1976.
Ref. PR 701 .L5
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Covers Restoration and 18th century theater in Great Britain. Includes indexes.

Mell, Donald C., Jr. English Poetry, 1660-1800 : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1982.
Ref. PR 551 .M44 1982
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Covers the early modern and 18th century periods. Includes indexes.

Mikhail, E. H., ed. English Drama, 1900-1950 : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1977.
Ref. PR 736 .M52
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Covers 20th century theater in Great Britain. Includes indexes.

Olsen, Kirstin. All Things Shakespeare : An Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World. Westport, CT : Greenwood, 2002.
Ref. PR 2892 .O56 2002

Parini, Jay, ed. British writers. Retrospective supplement VII [i.e., II]. New York : C. Scribner's Sons, 2002.
Ref. PR 85 .B688 Retro Suppl. 2

Penninger, Frieda Elaine. English Drama to 1660, Excluding Shakespeare : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1976.
Ref. PR 625 .P44
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Includes indexes.

Reiman, Donald H. English Romantic Poetry, 1800-1835 : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1979.
Ref. PR 590 .R4
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Includes indexes.

Watson, George, ed. The New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. Cambridge : Cambridge U P, 1974. 5 volumes.
Ref. PR 85 W382
Presents critical studies of works by major authors of the British Isles between 600 and 1950 AD. Primary and secondary materials include works by and about English writers. Based on F.S. Bateson's Cambridge Guide to English Literature, PR 85 .C281983.

White, Robert B. The English Literary Journal to 1900 : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1977.
Ref. PN 5114 .W45
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Includes indexes.

Wilson, Harris and Diane Long Hoeveler. English Prose and Criticism in the Nineteenth Century : A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit : Gale Research, 1979.
Ref. PR 771 .W5
From the Gale Information Guide Library, the American literature, English literature, and world literatures in English information guide series. Focuses on English prose literature. Includes indexes.

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Historical Collections

Early English Books: Series I. 1475-1640. Ann Arbor : University Microfilms International, 1938-1988.
Microfilm PR 1120 E2
This series covers the texts of almost everything published in English or in England from the 26,000 titles listed in Pollard and Redgraves's Short-Title Catalogue of English Books. 1475-1640. Indexed primarily by author.

Early English Books: Series II. 1640-1700. Ann Arbor : University Microfilms International, 1938-
Microfilm PR 1127 E2
Contains material printed in English between 1640 and 1700 as a continuation of the series.

The Eighteenth Century: Guide to the Microfilm Collection. Woodbridge, CT : Research Publications, 1984-.
Ref. PR 441 E5
Includes 200,000 English publications from 1701 to 1800. Accessed by author and title broad subject. Reels housed at the University of Washington. Ask at Reference Department for assistance.

The Microbook Library of English Literature. Chicago : Library Resources, 1970-.
Microfiche PR1101 L5
This collection of approximately 10,500 volumes can be accessed through the Microbook Library of English Literature: Author Catalog and Title Catalog located both on 5 West and in Reference PR 1101 L52. Contains literature from Anglo-Saxon times to 1917.

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Language Dictionaries

Bosworth, Joseph and T. Northcote Toller, eds. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary. London: Oxford University Press. 1954 reprint.
Ref. PE 279 B522 [1954] 1972
The definitive dictionary of the Old English language, including definitions with illustrative examples of words preserved in works written previous to 1100. 2 volumes.

Kurath, Hans, ed. Middle English Dictionary. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1952-1992.
Ref. PE 679 M54
Detailed explanations and definitions of significant words in medieval literature recorded from 1100-1474.

Todd, Loreto. Words Apart: A Dictionary of Northern Ireland English. Savage, MD: Barnes & Noble, 1990.
PE 2587 .T6 1990