''The Oxford Companion to English Literature'' first published in 1932, edited by the retired diplomat Sir Paul Harvey (1869–1948), was the earliest of the

Oxford Companions ''Oxford Companions'' is a book series published by Oxford University Press, providing general knowledge within a specific area. The first book published in the series was ''The Oxford Companion to English Literature ''The Oxford Companion to ...

to appear. It is currently in its seventh edition (2009), edited by Dinah Birch. The work, which has been periodically updated, includes biographies of prominent historical and leading contemporary writers in the English language, entries on major works, "allusions which may be encountered", significant ( serial) publications and literary clubs. Writers in other languages are included when they have affected the anglophone world. The ''Companion'' achieved "classic status" with the expanded fifth edition edited by novelist and scholar

Margaret Drabble Dame Margaret Drabble, Lady Holroyd, (born 5 June 1939) is an English biographer, novelist and short story writer. Drabble's books include '' The Millstone'' (1965), which won the following year's John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize, and '' Je ...

, and the book was often referred to as "The Drabble". Harvey's entries concerning Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

, much admired by Drabble in the introduction to the fifth edition, were reduced for reasons of space, in the sixth edition. Modern technology has meant that the two most recent editions have been updated at intervals of about five years before more radical changes are made; a revised printing of the sixth edition was published in 2006. The revised 2000 edition is now available in the Oxford Reference Online series by subscription only.

Editions

*First edition, 1932 edited by Sir Paul Harvey *Second, 1937 edited by Harvey *Third, 1948, edited by Harvey *Fourth, 1967 revised by

Dorothy S. Eagle Dorothy Eagle, nee Glasgow (born 1912) was an English editor at the Clarendon Press, who compiled several literary reference works. Life Dorothy Eagle was born on 10 March 1912 in Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastl ...

*Fifth 1985 edited by

*Sixth 2000 edited by Drabble *Seventh 2009 edited by Dinah Birch

References

External links

''The Oxford Companion to English Literature ''
1932 non-fiction books Oxford University Press reference books Encyclopedias of literature English-language literature {{lit-book-stub