A strong crop of British authors emerged during the 20th century. From "The Waste Land" to
"1984," 20th century British writers helped shape the modern and
postmodern movements in art and literature.
While they have been strong in number, the majority of great works came during the first half of the century. Unparalleled
economic and geopolitical catastrophes helped mold a generation raised
with great hardship and little hope. World Wars I and II and the severe
economic depression in between encouraged the exploration
of themes like destitution and loss and accounts of
adventures from the battlefronts and breadlines.
It is difficult to define 20th century British literature. However, several sites offer
resources for the beginner: