Reading Brexit Backwards: British Eurosceptic Fiction from ECSC to Maastricht

Abstract

The post-war years were a period of introspection for Britishsociety as the nation endeavoured to remain fiercely insular yet becameincreasingly troubled by geopolitical relations reshaping the war-torn continent.Britain swiftly assumed the role of the reluctant European; their opposition tointegration hindered by a destructive nostalgia for the past, the perceivederosion of cultural heritage and a sense of English exceptionalism. Beginningwith a brief contextual analysis of the events leading to the 2016 EU Referendum,this article will argue that early warning signs of British antipathy wereevident in literary responses to integration from the creation of the EuropeanCoal and Steel Community (ECSC) to the signing of the Maastricht Treaty whichestablished the European Union. Through a close reading of selected fictions by key figures inthis period, including Kingsley Amis, Nancy Mitford, Angus Wilson and MalcolmBradbury, the article identifies how early warning signs of British antipathyto European integration were clearly evident in post-war literature. By readingBrexit backwards, the article excavates the historical roots of Euroscepticism implantedin the cultural imaginary.