Twenty-first Century Literature and Literary Culture

ENGL71212 Twenty-first Century Literature and Literary Culture 30 Semester 2 Postgraduate Taught Level 7 John Roache Unit coordinator 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 15.0 This course focuses on twenty-first century literature not just as words on a page, but also as a constitutive feature of that wider cultural formation known as ‘contemporary literary culture’ (itself made up of a set of contingent and intersecting discourses, practices, coteries, markets, etc.). Alongside the set texts, we will consider the contexts of production and reception of contemporary literature and discuss questions of value and canonicity; we will consider the role of literary criticism, the construction of readership(s), and the impact of prize culture; and we will focus on questions of history, form and genre, including the notion of ‘literariness’ itself as it is constructed and understood in the twenty-first century. This course focuses on twenty-first century literature not just as words on a page, but also as a constitutive feature of that wider cultural formation known as ‘contemporary literary culture’ (itself made up of a set of contingent and intersecting discourses, practices, coteries, markets, etc.). Alongside the set texts, we will consider the contexts of production and reception of contemporary literature and discuss questions of value and canonicity; we will consider the role of literary criticism, the construction of readership(s), and the impact of prize culture; and we will focus on questions of history, form and genre, including the notion of ‘literariness’ itself as it is constructed and understood in the twenty-first century. Show a developed knowledge and understanding of literature of the period 2000 to the present, its formal and stylistic diversity, its critical reception, and the contexts of its production and reception, along with some knowledge of critical/theoretical discourse of this period.  Demonstrate skills of close reading and analysis of literary texts, alongside skills of appropriate research and critical argument.  Locate and employ library and web-based materials in support of a developed critical argument, plan a project and meet a deadline.   Demonstrate enhanced verbal and written communication skills, with a view to clarity, concision and reasoned argument, and work well both independently (in the preparation of the assessment) and in groups (in class-based discussion exercises).  Written communication Demonstrate enhanced verbal and written communication skills, with a view to clarity, concision and reasoned argument, and work well both independently (in the preparation of the assessment) and in groups (in class-based discussion exercises). One three-hour seminar per week, plus optional essay tutorial, and guidance during published office hours.  Use of Canvas: Class handouts, extracts from critical material, relevant journal articles, readings lists and information on assessment, plus other course materials will all be posted on Blackboard.  2 Written assignment (inc essay) 100% <table aria-rowcount="4" border="1" data-tablelook="480" data-tablestyle="MsoNormalTable"> <tbody> <tr aria-rowindex="1" role="row"> <td data-celllook="4369" role="rowheader">Feedback method  </td> <td data-celllook="4369" role="columnheader">Formative or Summative </td> </tr> <tr aria-rowindex="2" role="row"> <td data-celllook="4369" role="rowheader">Essay tutorial – feedback on essay plan </td> <td data-celllook="4369">Formative </td> </tr> <tr aria-rowindex="3" role="row"> <td data-celllook="4369" role="rowheader">Written essay feedback </td> <td data-celllook="4369">Summative </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <table aria-rowcount="5" border="1" data-tablelook="0" data-tablestyle="MsoNormalTable"> <tbody> <tr aria-rowindex="1" role="row"> <td data-celllook="4369">Available on which programme(s)? </td> <td data-celllook="4369">MA Modern and Contemporary Literature, MA Creative Writing, MA English and American Studies </td> </tr> <tr aria-rowindex="2" role="row"> <td data-celllook="4369">Available as Free Choice (UG) or to other programmes (PG)? </td> <td data-celllook="4369">Subject to availability (the course is capped at 40 students), the module is open to MA GSC students. </td> </tr> </tbody></table> Y <span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;">A confirmed reading list will be provided in September 2025, but in previous years, primary texts have included:•    W. G. Sebald, Austerlitz (2001) •    Zadie Smith, On Beauty (2005) •    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Americanah (2013) •    Ben Lerner, 10.04 (2014) •    Rachel Cusk, Outline (2014) •    Bernadine Evaristo, Girl, Woman, Other (2019) Seminars 33 0 267