People who are fascinated by different cultures and love reading fiction will be able to combine their interests by participating in this course. We study various themes within short stories and novellas set in locations all over the world. We will compare novels set in the UK, on the Continent, in the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. For example, the effects of Apartheid in the 1970’s may be read in conjunction with earlier racial problems in the USA. Please note that part 1 is not a prerequisite to join this course.

DELIVERY MODE

• Face-to-Face

SUGGESTED READING

• The Passing, Nella Larson (1929)
• On the Mountain, Martha Gellhorn (1978)
• The Awakening, Kate Chopin (1899)
• Consider her Ways, John Wyndham (1961)
• La Desdichada, Carlos Fuentes (1989)
• The Marionette, Edwin Muir (1927)
• The Patience Stone, Atiq Rahimi (2008)
• Chronicles of a Death Foretold, Gabriel García Márquez (1981)

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
• Compare and 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