When names like V.S. Naipaul, Kiran Desai, Bharati Mukherjee, Rohinton Mistry, Jhumpa Lahiri or Salman Rushdie are mentioned, one immediately associates them with authors of literary value, to protruding cultural and/or postcolonial stance and to India. In recent years literary criticism has paid much attention to authors of Indian origin: issues like identity, diaspora, nationalism, transnationalism and other key concepts have been the focus of much critical attention. However, none of these writers live in India, and some of them were not even born there.

In 1997 Femi Osofisan analyzed African exiled writers as characterized by two main features. First, these writers were positioned as disillusioned fugitives; second, their reading audience would largely be non-African but mainly European and American. For the writer "these two factors therefore determine their chosen style –a disjointed, postmodern prose, dissonant and delirious, in conformity with the current respectable literary fashion in the west (confirmed by their ability to win these glittering prizes); and an ahistorical, unideological vocation, in celebration of their escape from, and abandonment of, the African predicament". Osofisan, upon pointing out these characteristics, was implicitly speaking of those who remain in the place: oblivious to literary fashion in the west and therefore attached to their Indian cultural background together with a historical, ideological vocation. Despite referring to Africa, the Indian case may prove likewise. The reason why literature written in English by Indian authors living in India does not receive an equal amount of interest may thus lie in a Westernized critical approach.

The Journal of Post-Colonial Cultures and Societies seeks contributions that will deepen our current understanding of the relation between contemporary English writing in India through a variety of critical stances. Prompting scholars to engage with connections between history, economics, literature, society, religion, etc., this journal invites articles devoted to the analysis of how contemporary Indian authors deal with cultural and social problems or Indian public issues. This may prove an alternative approach to that one usually discovers in authors of Indian origin permanently established outside India, either by fostering comparative approaches or proposals centered in one single author. Prospective contributors are also encouraged to send creative writing and book reviews. Proposals must follow MLA style, please check http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ for reference. Papers must be between 5000 and 7000 words.

The deadline for article submissions is 1st July 2012. Articles should be sent as attachments to: cristina.gamez@uco.es