The course aims to build and develop students’ skills in Creative Writing and to further their understanding of Contemporary Literature in the Twenty-first Century.
Throughout the course, students will be asked to produce short pieces of Creative Writing. Students will be expected to discuss their writing in groups and to give feedback on the work of other students.
In order to improve the students’ own writing, the course will examine characteristics and traits of Contemporary Literature in the Twenty-first Century with particular emphasis on the development and use of character, plot, language and theme.
Students will study extracts from the following texts: The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt; The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon; The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz; A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan; The Sea Came in at Midnight by Steve Erickson; Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer; War Trash by Ha Jin; Nobody Move by Denis Johnson; Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel; Vernon God Little by D.B.C. Pierre; Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith.
The course will also use extracts from recent issues of Granta magazine and McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern.
For their final essay, students will be required to produce a piece of Creative Writing of 2,000 to 2,500 words.
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