Spanning over a thousand years of literary history from AD 600 to the present day, The Routledge History of Literature in English charts some of the main features of literary language development in the history of British and Irish literature. It emphasizes the growth of literary writing, its traditions, conventions and changing character and includes literature from the margins, both geographically and culturally.

The Routledge History of Literature in English includes an up-to-date guide to the major periods of literature in English in Britain and Ireland; extensive coverage of post-1945 literature; language notes spanning AD 600 to the present; extensive quotations from poetry, prose and drama; and a timeline of the important historical and political events.