This is a survey of contemporary British fiction. Focussing primarily on the distinctive achievement and personality of each writer, the author also discusses the contribution of British fiction to such genres as women's writing, the political novel, spy and crime fiction. It addresses questions such as the rise of mass market publishing and the emergence of an international readership in assessing the role of the modern author as we approach the twenty-first century.
Allan Massie is a Scottish journalist, sports writer and novelist. Massie is one of Scotland's most prolific and well-known journalists, writing regular columns for The Scotsman, The Sunday Times (Scotland) and the Scottish Daily Mail. He is also the author of nearly 30 books, including 20 novels. He is notable for writing about the distant past.