This volume, dealing with the Nobel Laureates in literature for the preceding twelve years, attempts a refreshing and educative study of their works and art. Neither blindly laudatory nor predeterminedly hostile, it is informed by a searching scrutiny and objective evaluation of the oeuvre of these towering literary figures. Cultural contours and their configurations in the works of these Nobel Laureates make for the running theme of the book. Situated in the vulnerable post-colonial societies or outside them, these writers are faced with the shrinking of spaces for selfhood in a world of increasing commodification and the intertwining of histories and civilizations in an overarching scheme of globalization. The book demonstrates how far each of them resolves such discords and dichotomies of his/her experiences into controlled art, and retrieves and retains his/her sense of the distinctive flavour and identity of his/her culture. The experience of reading this book on some of the finest contemporary writers from different parts of the world is as enriching as traveling across cultures and continents. In equal measure, it embodies deep insights into the overlaps of several cultural terrains and their comparative cultural and literary perspectives.