The first book of its kind to take English regionalism seriously, this volume pioneered what has become a vital part of the debate on contemporary Englishness. With a new preface, it captured that early 1990s moment when Newcastle stepped across the threshold into a postindustrial future.The notion of cultural reinvention is explored, the forces that was soon to create the "party" city are examined, the region’s considerable literary and dramatic conditions are analyzed, and the centrality of humor and dialect to regional culture is explained.
This book is an indispensable guide to all those interested in the contemporary North in particular and English regionalism in general.