Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
LJMU Partner Taught
Learning Methods
Lecture
Seminar
Tutorial
Module Offerings
6504SRCHEL-SEP-PAR
Aims
1 To consolidate and extend students' knowledge of the diversity and range of British
writing in the twenty-first century.
2. To explore key events that shape literary culture in Britain today, and exemplify a range of characteristic themes, including history, trauma, terror, nostalgia and ageing.
3. To locate post-millennial British writing within the context of late twentieth century
identity politics.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Critically review the key themes and preoccupations that characterise postmillennial British fiction;
2.
Transfer and apply creative skills to the analysis of examples of post-millennial
British fiction, showing an awareness of historical and cultural specificity;
3.
Critically evaluate and integrate new concepts to a body of theoretical and critical
writings on contemporary literary culture.
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:1. Introduction
2. Haunted by History: Pat Barker, Life Class (2007)
3. Black British Writing After 9/11: Monica Ali, Brick Lane (2003)
4. Living Through History: Ian McEwan, Saturday (2005)
5. 9/11 Workshop
6. Post-Postmodernism? A Return to Ethics: Zadie Smith, ‘The Embassy of Cambodia’ (2013)
7. Cloning and Posthumanism: Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go (2005)
8. Secrets and Trauma: Ali Smith, The Accidental (2005)
9. Post-Millennial Dystopia: J.G. Ballard, Kingdom Come (2006)
10. Conclusions
Additional Information:This module provides students with an opportunity to read widely in the field of twenty-first century British fiction and to engage in detail with a body of critical work examining the themes and preoccupations that characterise recent British writing. Students will be introduced to a number of indicative texts, and encouraged to explore widely within their areas of interest, whether that be, for example, the dystopian novel or contemporary black British writing. Set against a relative lack of literary critical analyses of such recent fictional works is a growing critical and theoretical framework around ideas such as trauma, memory, nostalgia and ageing. The module explores these ideas as possible approaches to reading post-millennial British fiction.