ENG-30058: Contemporary British Fiction

To study selected contemporary fiction.
To enable students to reflect on the social contexts and political ideologies that have dominated during the period (1970 to the present) and to consider the significance of a variety of literary texts in relation to these.
To provide students with a knowledge of various critical frameworks (cultural and literary) such as feminist theory, postmodernism and postcolonialism, and to develop an ability to work with these as part of an independent critical practice.
To enable students to appreciate and analyse the emergence and significance of different literary styles during the period.
To account for the importance of gender, class, sexual and racial identities in the literature of the period.
To develop writing styles appropriate for a range of purposes and audiences.

Intended Learning Outcomes

identify and assess critically the formal techniques used in contemporary narrative fiction; will be achieved by assessments: 1,2
demonstrate the appropriate writing style and content for a review article for the literary press; will be achieved by assessments: 2
identify and comment critically on stylistic and thematic trends in contemporary fiction; will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2
demonstrate close reading skills appropriate to the analysis of fiction; will be achieved by assessments: 1,2
recognise how the interpretation of texts is enhanced by knowledge of the historical contexts informing the period from 1970 to the present; will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2
recognise and employ critical concepts and terms used in modern critical study such as formalism, postmodernism, postcolonialism, and gender studies; will be achieved by assessments: 1, 2
demonstrate the appropriate writing style and content for the academic analysis of fiction. will be achieved by assessments: 1

Study hours

Seminars (20 hours)
seminar preparation and private study (75 hours)
essay writing and preparation (44 hours)
formative exercise preparation and writing (10 hours)
essay feedback (1 hour)

Description of Module Assessment

01: Essay weighted 70%

A 3,000 word essay
Students will choose to write one essay in answer to a choice of 8-10 questions.

02: Review weighted 30%

1,000 word review of a contemporary novel
Students will produce a review of one of the contemporary novels on the course or one that is agreed with the seminar tutor. The review should be appropriate for publication in a literary magazine, journal or broadsheet review section. Preparation for the exercise will consist of discussing similar reviews of other novels prior to the submission date of the review. The review will be due in week 7 of the module.

Version: (1.06B) Updated: 02/Oct/2013

This document is the definitive current source of information about this module and supersedes any other information.