Postcolonial Locationsseeks to clarify the meaning of 'the postcolonial' through close textual readings, rather than abstract theoretical discussions; it steps back from the field and provides a practical explanation of what the discipline is for. The book begins with an introduction of the key theoretical debates in the field - between the universal and particular; the global and the local - but it then goes on to demonstrate, via a series of close textual readings, that these distinctions are not always useful and that we can achieve a more comprehensive and complete reading of the multiple times, places and texts in which colonial power is both exerted and fought. An engaging and comprehensive guide to contemporary postcolonial studies, this guide is essential reading for students as well as professors.