Poverty and precarity have gained a new societal and political presence in the twenty-first
century's advanced economies. This is reflected in cultural production which this book
discusses for a wide range of media and genres from the novel to reality television. With a
focus on Britain its chapters divide their attention between current representations of
poverty and important earlier narratives that have retained significant relevance today.The
book's contributions discuss the representation of social suffering with attention to agencies
of enunciation ethical implications of 'voice' and 'listening' limits of narratability the
pitfalls of sensationalism voyeurism and sentimentalism potentials and restrictions inherent
in specific representational techniques modes and genres cultural markets for poverty and
precarity. Overall the book suggests that analysis of poverty narratives requires an
intersection of theoretical reflection and a close reading of texts.
