This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book sets out William Trevor's work against a larger canvas. William Trevor is one of the most accomplished and celebrated contemporary prose writers in the English language. The book provides detailed analyses of key texts, focusing on works which are widely read or most often appear on university syllabuses. It examines the self-reflexive dimensions of Trevor's oeuvre, how allusions to books, newspapers, advertisements and records shed light onto characters' identities, aspirations and anxieties. The book highlights Trevor's responsiveness to Britain's changing culture from the mid-1950s onwards, highlighting his incorporation of black characters in his fiction at a time when many British authors declined to do so.