FORMS AND GENRES

Description

Drawing on a rich and global variety of texts, this module will allow you to consider literature from new vantage points. As a counterpart to other modules looking closely at theory, this course will focus on exploring literary forms, modes and genres including game writing, autofiction, speculative fiction, specialist poetry, Hypertext, and experimental fiction. These will be considered alongside traditional modes such as Realism, Romance, and genres such as travel writing and historical fiction, enabling you to build on the knowledge about literary history that you will have acquired in previous semesters. The module will provide students with a grounding in literary innovations that will be explored from diverse critical and creative perspectives. The all-group lectures/seminars will introduce the formal aspects of the literary forms, modes, while the tailored workshops will consist of practical exercises and discussion designed to allow you to engage with the material as literary critics and creative writers. Through this dual format, you will switch between your role as learner and as a producer of texts and knowledge, building the confidence of your professional voice while simultaneously allowing you to enquire and explore. To this end, you will also have a choice between two forms of final assessments: a critical essay applying the new approaches to a text you are passionate about, or a creative portfolio with a critical commentary, which will also help you build your portfolio as a writer. You will receive detailed feedback on all your work and will be invited to shape the seminar with your own feedback. Exact module content may vary from year to year, but indicative content includes: Game Writing Autofiction Speculative Fiction Specialist Poetry Historical Fiction Hypertext Experimental Fiction Contemporary Realism The module aims to: Introduce students to literary innovations and consider their emergence in the context of contemporaneous cultures Critically assess the impact of new forms, modes, and genres on the literary marketplace Equip students to identify and interrogate the ways in which such innovations interact with other media Enable students to identify and critique literary influences and reinventions Encourage students to develop their own writerly styles and abilities in the light of literary and creative developments Attributes Developed 001 By the end of the module students will be able to: recognise the cultural importance of literary innovations CK 002 Identify the cultural contexts that have informed such innovations K 003 Demonstrate advanced critical thinking and engagement with theoretical debates that inform literary and cultural productions CT 004 Analyse key developments in literary forms, modes and genres CPT 005 Develop a creative project informed by a literary form, mode, or genre explored in this module [Creative Writing students] CKPT