POSTMODE R N I SM A N D

T EM PO RA RY LI T E R AT U RE
CO N
SINCE 1980

Malik Inna
PERIODS

THERE IS AN EARLY PERIOD OF POSTMODERNISM AND A LATE.

FROM 1980 IS A LATE PERIOD.

LATE POSTMODERNISM: "RESURRECTION OF THE SUBJECT" (EMOTIONAL, EXISTENTIAL REGISTERS, EXPERIENCE,

VULNERABILITY) WHILE MAINTAINING THE FEATURES OF POETICS.
EXAMPLE: S. RUSHDIE "MIDNIGHT'S CHILDREN", J. BARNES "ENGLAND, ENGLAND", M. AMIS "THE
ARROW OF TIME", J. COE "WHAT A SWINDLE".
M. BRADBURY NOTED STYLISTIC AND GENRE POLYPHONY, INTERTEXTUAL PLAY WITH CULTURAL
CODES IN THE ENGLISH NOVEL. IN HIS MONOGRAPH "INTRODUCTION TO MODERN BRITISH
LITERATURE 1950-2000" D. HEAD EXAMINES THE WORK OF S. RUSHDIE, M. AMIS AND A. CARTER
AND DECLARES THE PRESENCE OF MORAL AND EMOTIONAL PRINCIPLES IN THEIR WORK: “THE
NOVEL RENEWS CONTACT WITH REALISM, LINKS TEXT AND REALITY. IN BRITAIN, POSTMODERNISM
IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSFORMATION OF REALISM, THEY HAVE POSTMODERNISM - A NEW
HYBRID TRADITION. GAME POSTMODERNISM TURNED OUT TO BE UNCLAIMED IN BRITISH
ARTISTIC CULTURE. ENGLISH NOVEL 1980-2000 UNTHINKABLE WITHOUT A THEORETICAL AND
INTELLECTUAL BACKGROUND, WITHOUT EXISTENTIALISM, PHILOSOPHICAL IDEAS.
ENGLISH POSTMODERN. OFTEN USES THEMES RELATED TO POST-COLONIAL LITERATURE, ISSUES OF GLOBALIZATION,
NATION AND GENDER.
J.K. ROWLING’S LIFE AND WORKS.
• JOANNE ROWLING  (  BORN 31 JULY 1965), ALSO KNOWN BY HER NAME J. K. ROWLING, IS A BRITISH AUTHOR
AND PHILANTHROPIST. SHE WROTE HARRY POTTER A SEVEN-VOLUME CHILDREN`S FANTASY SERIES PUBLISHED
FROM 1997 TO 2007. THE SERIES HAS SOLD OVER 500 MILLION COPIES, BEEN TRANSLATED INTO AT LEAST
70 LANGUAGES, AND SPAWNED A GLOBAL MEDIA FRANCHISE INCLUDING FILMS AND VIDEO GAMES. THE
CASUAL VACANCY (2012) WAS HER FIRST NOVEL FOR ADULTS. SHE WRITES CORMORAN STRIKE, AN
ONGOING CRIME FICTION SERIES, AS ROBERT GALBRAITH.
• JOANNE ROWLING WAS BORN ON 31 JULY 1965 AT COTTAGE HOSPITAL IN YATE,  GLOUCESTERSHIRE. HER
PARENTS ANNE AND PETER JAMES ROWLING HAD MET THE PREVIOUS YEAR ON A TRAIN, SHARING A TRIP
FROM  KING'S CROSS STATION, LONDON, TO THEIR NAVAL POSTINGS AT ARBROATH, SCOTLAND. ANNE WAS
WITH THE WRENS AND PETE WAS WITH THE ROYAL NAVI. THEY CAME FROM MIDDLE-CLASS
BACKGROUNDS; PETE WAS THE SON OF A MACHINE-TOOL SETTER WHO LATER OPENED A GROCERY
SHOP. THEY LEFT THE NAVY LIFE AND SOUGHT A COUNTRY HOME TO RAISE THE BABY THEY WERE EXPECTING,
AND MARRIED ON 14 MARCH 1965  WHEN BOTH WERE 19. THE ROWLINGS SETTLED IN YATE,  WHERE PETE
STARTED WORK AS AN ASSEMBLY-LINE PRODUCTION WORKER AT THE BRISTOL SIDDELEY FACTORY. THE
COMPANY BECAME PART OF ROLCE-ROYCE AND HE WORKED HIS WAY INTO MANAGEMENT AS A CHARTERED
ENGINEER. ANNE LATER WORKED AS A SCIENCE TECHNICIAN. NEITHER ANNE NOR PETE ATTENDED
UNIVERSITY.
• JOANNE IS TWO YEARS OLDER THAN HER SISTER, DIANNE. WHEN JOANNE WAS FOUR, THE FAMILY MOVED TO
WINTERBOURNE, GLOUCESTERSHIRE.  SHE BEGAN AT ST MICHAEL'S CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL
IN WINTERBOURNE WHEN SHE WAS FIVE. THE ROWLINGS LIVED NEAR A FAMILY CALLED POTTER – A NAME
JOANNE ALWAYS LIKED.  ANNE LOVED TO READ AND THEIR HOMES WERE FILLED WITH BOOKS. PETE READ THE
WIND IN THE WILLOYS TO HIS DAUGHTERS, WHILE ANNE INTRODUCED THEM TO THE ANIMALS IN RICHARD'S
BOOKS. JOANNE'S FIRST ATTEMPT AT WRITING, A STORY CALLED "RABBIT" COMPOSED WHEN SHE WAS SIX,
WAS INSPIRED BY SCARRY'S CREATURES.
• WHEN ROWLING WAS ABOUT NINE, THE FAMILY PURCHASED THE HISTORIC CHURCH COTTAGE IN TUTSHILL. IN
1974, ROWLING BEGAN ATTENDING THE NEARBY CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL.  BIOGRAPHER SEAN SMITH
DESCRIBES HER TEACHER AS A "BATTLEAXE" WHO "STRUCK FEAR INTO THE HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN";  SHE
SEATED ROWLING IN "DUNCES' ROW" AFTER SHE PERFORMED POORLY ON AN ARITHMETIC TEST. IN 1975,
ROWLING JOINED A BROWNIES PACK. ITS SPECIAL EVENTS AND PARTIES, AND THE PACK GROUPS (FAIRIES,
PIXIES, SPRITES, ELVES, GNOMES AND IMPS) PROVIDED A MAGICAL WORLD AWAY FROM HER STERN
TEACHER. WHEN SHE WAS ELEVEN OR TWELVE, SHE WROTE A SHORT STORY, "THE SEVEN CURSED DIAMONDS".
 SHE LATER DESCRIBED HERSELF DURING THIS PERIOD AS "THE EPITOME OF A BOOKISH CHILD – SHORT AND
SQUAT, THICK NATIONAL HEALTH GLASSES, LIVING IN A WORLD OF COMPLETE DAYDREAMS".