This book offers a lively assessment of the critical responses to a range of contemporary Scottish fiction, poetry and drama which also explores issues such as nationalism, language, post-colonialism and gender.It examines the critical construction of the rising genre of 'contemporary Scottish literature' and assesses the critical responses to a wide range of fiction, poetry and drama. It covers all the key contemporary Scottish authors, including Welsh, Kennedy, Spark, Gray and Kelman. It explores the debates surrounding the major issues of nationalism, language, gender, class, post-colonialism and postmodernism.This Guide examines the critical construction of the genre of 'contemporary Scottish literature' and assesses the critical responses to a wide range of contemporary Scottish fiction, poetry and drama. The Guide is structured thematically with each chapter addressing a specific area of debate within the field of contemporary Scottish Studies.