This collection investigates the state of contemporary British literature by identifying the most promising writers under the age of forty. Editor Bill Buford, then editor of Granta, curates this selection to provide a snapshot of emerging talent and stylistic trends in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. The volume serves as a critical barometer for the future of the British novel, utilizing a mix of short fiction and excerpts to demonstrate the breadth of the selected authors' capabilities.

Critics and literary historians frequently cite this specific issue of Granta as a foundational document for identifying the generation of writers who would dominate British letters for the following decades. Readers often note the historical interest in seeing which authors maintained their prominence and which faded from the literary landscape over time.