This book starts from the premise that emigration is a crucial concept for the understanding of recent development in criticism and literature. For only when the contribution of non-indigenous ethnicities is taken into account such other key phenomena as globalisation and multiculturalism or -- in some parts of the world -- colonialism or post-colonialism appear in full. The essays in this collection trace the presence of an Italian heritage in the literature of the United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, and ponder the consequences. While some articles describe the texts or review the history of the literature produced by authors of Italian origin, others address the theoretical implications or situate the discussion about authors and their works within the current critical debate. The result is a volume at once informative and intellectually challenging.