''The Oxford Companion to English Literature'' first published in 1932, edited by the retired diplomat Sir Paul Harvey (1869–1948), was the earliest of the

Oxford Companions ''Oxford Companions'' is a book series published by Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates b ...

to appear. It is currently in its seventh edition (2009), edited by

Dinah Birch Dinah Lynne Birch (born 4 October 1953) is an English literary critic. She is Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Impact and Professor of English Literature at the University of Liverpool. She was a student at St Hugh's College, Oxford and als ...

. The work, which has been periodically updated, includes biographies of prominent historical and leading contemporary writers in the English language, entries on major works, "allusions which may be encountered", significant ( serial) publications and literary clubs. Writers in other languages are included when they have affected the anglophone world. The ''Companion'' achieved "classic status" with the expanded fifth edition edited by novelist and scholar Margaret Drabble, and the book was often referred to as "The Drabble". Harvey's entries concerning Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels '' Ivanhoe'', '' Rob Roy ...

, much admired by Drabble in the introduction to the fifth edition, were reduced for reasons of space, in the sixth edition. Modern technology has meant that the two most recent editions have been updated at intervals of about five years before more radical changes are made; a revised printing of the sixth edition was published in 2006. The revised 2000 edition is now available in the Oxford Reference Online series by subscription only.

Editions

*First edition, 1932 edited by Sir Paul Harvey *Second, 1937 edited by Harvey *Third, 1948, edited by Harvey *Fourth, 1967 revised by Dorothy S. Eagle *Fifth 1985 edited by Margaret Drabble *Sixth 2000 edited by Drabble *Seventh 2009 edited by

References

External links

''The Oxford Companion to English Literature ''
1932 non-fiction books Oxford University Press reference books Encyclopedias of literature English-language literature {{lit-book-stub