Acknowledgements
With many thanks to the following:
Sara Berkeley, Eavan Boland, Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, Medbh
McGuckian, Paul Muldoon and Tom Paulin, for their readings,
interviews and interest. Rod Edmond, Declan Kiberd, Michael
O’Neill, Gareth Reeves, Geoff Ward and Pat Waugh, for their
encouragement, support and guidance. Kalpana Shenoi for her
enthusiasm from the very beginning. The trustees of the University of
Kent Alumni Graduate Scholarship for fully funding me for three
years and without whom this project would have been impossible. The
English Speaking Union for their 1999/2000 Award for Research
Abroad. Colleagues from the Department of English at the University
of Dundee and my Senior Honours poetry students. The Department
of English Studies at the University of Durham for their kind
assistance during my first few years of lecturing. The Centre for Post-
Colonial Studies at the University of Durham for providing an
excellent forum for debate. Peter Brown and Michael Irwin for the
‘Literature and Place Project’ at the University of Kent. The
Postgraduate Theory Seminars and the Post-Colonial Research
Seminars at the University of Kent, the British Association for Irish
Studies, the International Association for the Study of Irish Literature,
Ailbhe Smyth and WERRC at University College Dublin, and the
Women-on-Ireland Network, for providing stimulating discussion.
Graham Speake and Joanna Turner for their editorial comments
during the final stages of preparing the manuscript for publication.
Beth and Geoff Dawes for their help and generosity. Ali Gardner,
Katerina Kolyva, Jo Lawrence and Marguerita Prierto-Acosta for their
companionship during the writing of this book. Last but first, my
parents.