Mavis Gallant has been described by Michael Ondaatje as one of the great short story writers of our time. Since 1950, her short stories and novels have commanded the interest of readers in North America and Europe alike. Varieties of Exile: New Essays on Mavis Gallant approaches her work from a variety of perspectives, with particular emphasis on the key role that irony plays in her writings. The contributors include some of the world’s leading authorities on Gallant, as well as her finest translators. This book features a discussion of the issues involved in translating Gallant’s prose from English to French. In a question and answer session, Mavis Gallant speaks about her art, reminisces about some events in her life, and reflects on the workings of memory.