This guide contains articles about leading authors born before 1939 inclusive, and not only about prose writers, playwrights and poets, but also historians, philosophers, philologists, critics, publishers and journalists. The guide also includes information on the plots of literary works, characters of books and plays, definitions of literary and ideological trends, literary genres, literary terms; articles are also presented on English and Irish mythology, literary associations, periodicals, copyright, censorship, literary cafes, as well as publishers, booksellers and private printing houses.