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.

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.

Assessments

Essay
Essay