Forget English! : Orientalisms and world literatures In recent years the idea of world literature has become nearly hegemonic in the so called First World or Global North. It now underlies a range of literary practices including literature festivals prizes and competitions reviewing editing and publishing academic research and writing teaching and the very writing of certain kinds of literature itself.. At the center of the possibility of world literature is the rise of English to global dominance both as global literary vernacular and as the undisputed language of global capitalism. Forget English! critically examines the claims of world literature and makes a case for a better understanding of first how English has come into literary preeminence worldwide and second the effects of this rise on non European languages as media of literary expression. This is the first serious work to challenge the claims and pieties of world literature from the perspective of the societies languages and literatures of the Global South. Provided by publisher In recent years the idea of world literature has become nearly hegemonic in the so called First World or Global North. It now underlies a range of literary practices including literature festivals prizes and competitions reviewing editing and publishing academic research and writing teaching and the very writing of certain kinds of literature itself. At the center of the possibility of world literature is the rise of English to global dominance both as global literary vernacular and as the undisputed language of global capitalism. Forget English! critically examines the claims of world literature and makes a case for a better understanding of first how English has come into literary preeminence worldwide and second the effects of this rise on non European languages as media of literary expression. This is the first serious work to challenge the claims and pieties of world literature from the perspective of the societies languages and literatures of the Global South Provided by publisher