Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
Humanities and Social Science
Learning Methods
Lecture
Seminar
Tutorial
Module Offerings
6110ENGL-SEP-MTP
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
Module Overview:
This module will extend your knowledge of the diversity and range of British writing in the twenty-first century in order to explore key events that shape literary culture in Britain today.
This module will extend your knowledge of the diversity and range of British writing in the twenty-first century in order to explore key events that shape literary culture in Britain today.
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.