For readers who love both fiction and cultural exploration, this course offers a rich way to combine the two. Through short stories and novellas by respected authors, mostly from the 20th century, you’ll examine how literature opens windows onto different societies, histories and values.

Texts span locations including the UK, continental Europe, Latin America and Scandinavia, with discussion focused on shared themes and contrasting viewpoints. Part 1 and Part 2 are not prerequisites, so you can join this course as a standalone literary journey.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• The True Deceiver, Tove Jansson (208 p)
• My Antonia, Willa Catha (175 p)
• The Cement Garden, Ian McEwan   (138 p)
• The Fallen, Carlos Manuel Alvarez  (130 p)
• The Shawl, Synthia Ozic (6 p)    
• Address Unknown, Kathrine Taylor (96 p)     
• A Meal in Winter, Hubert Mingarelli (144 p)                   

COURSE OUTLINE

• Read or listen to one story each week, focusing attention on the nominated theme
• Learn about the background and historical context of each text
• Make comparisons of authors’ intentions of the nominated theme
• Discuss differing literary techniques used by each author
• Evaluate the authors’ achievements.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Closely analyse and understand international texts
2. Distinguish the global contexts of international texts
3. Gain knowledge of international texts in historical context
4. Evaluate authors’ communication
5. Become prepared for further reading and research