This volume investigates the intersection of desire and textual production, questioning how linguistic structures shape and reflect human longing. Terrence Hawkes, a prominent figure in structuralist and post-structuralist literary theory, curates this collection to examine how desire functions as a driving force within both the creation and the interpretation of texts. The contributors utilize a range of critical frameworks to analyze how desire is encoded, suppressed, or liberated within various literary and cultural artifacts.

Scholars and students of literary theory frequently cite this issue as a significant contribution to the discourse on desire in academic writing. Readers often note the high level of theoretical density, making it a text primarily intended for advanced students and researchers in the humanities.