Postcolonial Literatures in English have become a central field of research and study all over the world. This series of introductory readers covers (1) South Asian Literatures, (2) Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Literatures, (3) African Literatures, (4) Canadian Literatures, (5) Caribbean Literatures and (6) Black and Asian British Literatures. The edited collections of source materials are designed to help students and teachers in exploring the diversity of the global cultural networks which have arisen from the British Empire and Commonwealth. Each volume contains an introduction that sketches out major trends and developments in the region and provides recommendations for further reading. The specificities of each respective region are explored within a framework focussing on histories, identities, language, education, movements and genres, as well as transcultural perspectives.In this way, the first volume outlines 'South Asia,' a territorial concept that includes, above all, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The diversity of climate, landscape, fauna and flora that characterizes this area is reflected in the ethnic, social, religious and linguistic pluralities practiced by its people. A South Asian identity is therefore at best a vague external construct. Taking account of such difficulties, our introduction provides a critical insight into this intriguing area through a reading of its anglophone cultural debates and controversies.