This book brings together geographers and literary scholars in a series of engagements near the
boundaries of their disciplines. In urban studies disproportionate attention has been given to
a small set of privileged 'first' cities. This volume problematizes the dominance of such alpha
cities offering a wide perspective on 'second cities' and their literature. The volume is
divided into three themed sections. 'In the Shadow of the Alpha City' problematizes the image
of cities defined by their function and size bringing out the contradictions and contestations
inherent in cultural productions of second cities including Birmingham and Bristol in the UK
Las Vegas in the USA and Tartu in Estonia. 'Frontier Second Cities' pays attention to the
multiple and trans-national pasts of second cities which occupy border zones with a focus on
Narva in Estonia and Turkish Kurdish Diyarbakir. The final section 'The Diffuse Second City'
examines networks the diffuse secondary city made up of interlinked small cities suburban
sprawl and urban overspill with literary case studies from Italy Sweden and Finland.
