Run by School of Arts, Culture and Language

20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits

Semester 1

Organiser: Mr Joey Frances

• Study a broad range of literature published from the 1920s to the present
• Situate this literature within broader historical, social, cultural and political contexts
• Establish and explore areas of contrast and continuity between the texts on the module
• Develop creative responses to the texts presented on the module.

Modern & Contemporary Writing introduces students to a range of British and Irish texts from the modern and contemporary period. It begins with modernist texts from the 1920s, before considering politically-engaged writing from the 1930s, and the emergence of postmodern literature in the years after the Second World War. The final part of the course considers more contemporary literature, including writing from a postcolonial perspective. The course asks students to investigate how literature across a range of genres responds to the broad historical trends and specific events of the age. These might include modernism, the political situation in the 1930s, post-War postmodernity, and postcolonialism. New and contemporary movements and traditions in British/Irish literature will be explored in the final part of the course. The module will also include visits from contemporary writers. These contemporary works will be used as springboards and inspiration for the students own creative work, and students will be encouraged to develop a critical sense of their creative work in its contemporary context.

threshold

A 3rd class candidate’s work will show many of the following features:

Limited engagement with ideas.

Link between themes and form not always clear.

Limited sense of formal conventions. Inconsistent with regard to linguistic technicalities.

Limited awareness of redrafting and editing process.

excellent

Typically, the work of a first class candidate will show many of the following qualities:

Excellent levels of originality, vision and depth; striking and thorough engagement with ideas.

Excellent understanding and control of form.

Impressive linguistic control and/or innovation.

Sophisticated understanding of the creative process and assured control of decisions made in writing.

Dynamic work approaching publishable standard.

good

A 2(i) candidate’s work will show many of the following qualities:

Demonstration of a degree of vitality and originality.

Very good understanding of generic conventions; sound use of structures and forms.

Resourceful use of language.

Sound understanding of the creative process and thoughtful control of decisions made in writing.

Very good work, which at times comes close to publishable standard.

C- to C+

A 2(ii) candidate’s work will show many of the following qualities:

Some attempt at serious exploration of ideas.

Some link between themes and form. Good attempt to engage with form, but this may not be entirely sustained.

Use of language technically proficient, but not always focused.

Some awareness of the creative process and of decisions made in writing.

Good work, but its strengths need to be more fully sustained to reach publishable standard.

1. • Critically appreciate, analyse and interpret a range of literary texts in relation to postmodernity, contemporary and emerging movements and traditions • Examine patterns and variations in the literary response to the historical trends and events of the period

2. • Reflect critically on the contemporary context of their creative work.

3. • Select, digest and organise material and produce a consistent and coherent argument, presented in essay form, to a deadline.

4. • Examine contemporary texts from the perspective of a particular critical concern or emerging trend

5. • Construct a meaningful cultural and historical understanding of the period

6. • Develop creative work that is aware of its contemporary context

Type	Name	Description	Weight
	Critical Essay		50.00
	Creative Portfolio and Commentary		50.00

		Hours
Private study	Personal research	167
Lecture	Two weekly lectures to be shared with QXE2019 Contemporary Writing (LIT)	22
Workshop	Weekly Creative Writing Workshop	11

• Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
• Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
• Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
• Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
• Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
• Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
• Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting
• Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others

i produce clear, accurate, artistically coherent and technically sophisticated written work, which articulates a combination of research and creative ideas ii communicate orally and through the written word concrete ideas and abstract concepts iii read as a writer - with an ability to analyse texts, performances and broadcasts, and respond to the affective power of language, using appropriate approaches, terminology and creative strategies 7 iv use language in a sophisticated and nuanced fashion, with a heightened awareness of concision, voice, idiom, idiolect, simile, metaphor, analogy, rhythm and media-specific restraints v use reflective strategies to help capture and synthesize personal experiences and other research in an imaginative form vi apply a well-developed aesthetic sensibility and sense of intellectual inquiry vii employ an imaginative and divergent mode of thinking which is integral to identifying and solving problems, to the making of critical and reflective judgements, to the generation of alternatives and new ideas, and to engaging with broader issues of value viii edit their own work, and that of peers, with a high level of rigour and scrutiny, at the various levels of clause, line, sentence, stanza, paragraph but also at the structural level of overall scene, chapter, collection, book ix apply scholarly bibliographic skills when and where necessary x use the views of others in the development and enhancement of practice; formulate considered practical responses to the critical judgements of others, while developing a generous yet rigorous critical scrutiny in peer review and workshop activities xi view themselves as practitioners and reflect critically on their own creative writing practice xii conduct independent research, including that which is practice based.i produce clear, accurate, artistically coherent and technically sophisticated written work, which articulates a combination of research and creative ideas ii communicate orally and through the written word concrete ideas and abstract concepts iii read as a writer - with an ability to analyse texts, performances and broadcasts, and respond to the affective power of language, using appropriate approaches, terminology and creative strategies 7 iv use language in a sophisticated and nuanced fashion, with a heightened awareness of concision, voice, idiom, idiolect, simile, metaphor, analogy, rhythm and media-specific restraints v use reflective strategies to help capture and synthesize personal experiences and other research in an imaginative form vi apply a well-developed aesthetic sensibility and sense of intellectual inquiry vii employ an imaginative and divergent mode of thinking which is integral to identifying and solving problems, to the making of critical and reflective judgements, to the generation of alternatives and new ideas, and to engaging with broader issues of value viii edit their own work, and that of peers, with a high level of rigour and scrutiny, at the various levels of clause, line, sentence, stanza, paragraph but also at the structural level of overall scene, chapter, collection, book ix apply scholarly bibliographic skills when and where necessary x use the views of others in the development and enhancement of practice; formulate considered practical responses to the critical judgements of others, while developing a generous yet rigorous critical scrutiny in peer review and workshop activities xi view themselves as practitioners and reflect critically on their own creative writing practice xii conduct independent research, including that which is practice based.

Reading list

See reading list for Contemporary Writing (LIT) QXE2019

Compulsory in courses:

• 3Q5Q: BA Cymraeg and English Literature year 2 (BA/CEL)
• 2P78: BA English Lit with Creative Writing with International Exp year 2 (BA/ECI)
• Q310: BA Eng Lit with Eng Lang year 2 (BA/ELEL)
• 3QV1: BA History and English Literature year 2 (BA/ELH)
• 09V3: BA English Literature and Italian year 2 (BA/ELI)
• 3YT5: BA English Literature and Spanish year 2 (BA/ELIS)
• 065C: BA English Literature with Journalism year 2 (BA/ELJ)
• 1Q3Q: BA Linguistics and English Literature year 2 (BA/ELL)
• QQC3: BA English Lang and Lit year 2 (BA/ELLIT)
• QQCF: BA English Language & English Lit [with Foundation Year] year 2 (BA/ELLITF)
• 32N6: BA English Literature and Music year 2 (BA/ELM)
• 32N7: BA English Literature & Music with International Experience year 2 (BA/ELMIE)
• 32M8: BA English Literature with Theatre and Performance year 2 (BA/ELTP)
• M3Q9: BA English Literature and Criminology and Criminal Justice year 2 (BA/ENC)
• 2P17: BA English Literature and Creative Writing year 2 (BA/ENCW)
• 2P1P: BA English Literature and Creative Writing with Place Yr year 2 (BA/ENCWP)
• 8H25: BA English Literature year 2 (BA/ENGL)
• 2D13: BA English Literature with Creative Writing year 2 (BA/ENGLC)
• 8H2P: BA English Literature with Placement Year year 2 (BA/ENGLP)
• 8H26: BA English Literature (with International Experience) year 2 (BA/ENIE)
• 06CD: BA French and English Literature year 2 (BA/FEL)
• 3P3Q: BA Film Studies and English Literature year 2 (BA/FSEL)
• 3N7S: BA German and English Literature year 2 (BA/GEL)
• T124: BA English Literature & Chinese year 2 (BA/LITCH)
• 3HPQ: BA Media Studies and English Literature year 2 (BA/MEN)
• 3VQV: BA Philosophy and Religion and English Literature year 2 (BA/PREN)
• 3L3Q: BA Sociology and English Literature year 2 (BA/SEL)
• Q2W9: MArts English Literature with Creative Writing year 2 (MARTS/ELCW)
• Q321: MArts English Literature with International Experience year 2 (MARTS/ELIE)
• Q320: MArts English Literature year 2 (MARTS/ELIT)

Optional in courses:

• W890: BA Creative&Professional Writing year 2 (BA/CPW)
• W89P: BA Creative and Professional Writing with Placement Year year 3 (BA/CPWP)
• W899: BA Creative & Professional Writing with International Exp year 3 (BA/CRIE)
• WP83: BA Media Studies & Creative Wrtng year 2 (BA/CWMS)
• 8G55: BA English Language with Creative Writing (with Int Exp) year 3 (BA/ELCIE)
• Q3WL: BA Eng Lang with Creat Writ year 2 (BA/ELCW)
• Q3Q2: BA English Language w English Lit year 2 (BA/ENGEL)
• R1W8: BA French with Creative Writing year 2 (BA/FRCW)
• P3W8: BA Film Studies and Creative Writing year 2 (BA/FSCW)
• R2W8: BA German with Creative Writing year 2 (BA/GERCW)
• P500: BA Journalism (Subject to Validation) year 2 (BA/J)
• Q1Q3: BA Ling with Eng Lit year 2 (BA/LEL)
• WW39: BA Music and Creative Writing with International Experience year 2 (BA/MCWIE)
• WW38: BA Music and Creative Writing year 2 (BA/MUSCW)
• W6W8: BA Professional Writing & Film year 2 (BA/PWF)
• P3W9: BA Professional Writing and Media year 2 (BA/PWM)
• 8M74: BA Spanish with Creative Writing (with International Exp) year 2 (BA/SCIE)
• R4W8: BA Spanish with Creative Writing year 2 (BA/SPCW)
• M115: LLB Law with English Literature (International Experience) year 2 (LLB/ILEL)