This volume offers a fresh perspective on teaching re-reading and expanding the Romantic
canon by shedding light on the period from a distinctively Cultural Studies point of view. The
discourses reflected in this range of contributions open a window into the social inequalities
of the late 18th and early 19th centuries be they in generational class gender sexual or
ethnic terms as well as intersections thereof. We see a significant parallel between the
ethics and literary activism of Romantic writers and the 'wokeness' of activists in Western
contemporary cultures especially given the criticism surrounding their works which either
celebrates their progressive impetus or unveils the underlying shortcomings of their
performative activism and intrinsic close-mindedness. The essays reveal that Romantic ideas
echo into contemporary controversies surrounding questions of white privilege gender and
sexual inequalities human rights and the increasing marginalisation of vulnerable groups in
the face of global crises.
