The fifteen chapters in the book are the papers from a conference held at the Australian National University 17-29 October 1999. The conference was hosted by the Australian National Dictionary Centre, Oxford University Press, and the Humanities Research centre. It brought together leading lexicographers from around the world, including the Chief Editor (John Simpson) and Deputy Editor (Penny Silva) of the Oxford English Dictionary. A dominant
theme of the papers is the future of regional Englishes (Australian English, Indian English, Canadian English, etc.) in the context of the increasing globalisation of English. Other issues covered
include: the relationships between English and other official languages, the relationships between English and indigenous languages, language and national identity, the history of recording regional Englishes in dictionaries, and the role of British and American English as 'linguistic imperialists'. The countries which receive major emphasis are Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Fiji, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Africa.