ENG-20076 - Module Specification
School of Humanities
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

This module looks at themes and trends in literary publishing - ie which genres, fears, fashions and ideas are new and emerging. Being aware of this is crucial to our understanding of what is contemporary (ie what sort of writing is currently being published and promoted), and how this forms part of our contemporary cultural landscape. It also asks you to consider how and why these trends and themes might connect with your own creative interests and writing.
In lectures and reading groups, we will be looking at interesting and provocative examples of these themes and trends, giving you the opportunity to discuss these from a writer's perspective, and to relate these to your own writing or potential writing.
You will be drafting work of your own throughout the module, and getting feedback from tutors and your peers in writers' workshop sessions. At the end of the module, you produce a Portfolio and Commentary which responds to the ideas of the module, as a practice in 'pitching' work to emerging themes.

The module aims to equip students with an understanding of new and emergent themes in genre and literary writing, with a particular emphasis on publishing trends. It also offers a structured approach to engaging with these themes in their own creative practice, finding the intersections between their own experience/interests and the wider professional landscapes of writing.

Intended Learning Outcomes

analyse and communicate ideas of The Contemporary in new and recent literary works: 1,3
identify and analyse themes and tropes in published writing: 1,3
acquire knowledge of the connections between their own creative ideas/practices and the wider literary landscape: 2,3
produce original writing which engages with contemporary themes: 2
reflect on their own creative practice and the creative practices of other writers: 3

Study hours

Lectures: 6 hours
Reading Groups: 6 hours
Exercise Workshops: 6 hours
Peer Review Workshops: 12 hours
Open Advice Sessions: 5 hours
1-1 Feedback: 1 hour
Individual Study: 72 hours
Workshop/Assessment Prep: 42 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment