Literary London

This module introduces students to the life and literature of London from the seventeenth century to the present day, from Isabella Whitney to Monica Ali. As we read some of London’s greatest poems, short stories and novels, we will walk the streets of London, visiting some of the great landmarks and museums, as well as looking into its lesser-known histories.

Course leader

Dr. Niall Ó Cuileagáin, Sarah Chambre

Target group

This is a level one module (equivalent to first year undergraduate). No prior subject knowledge is required to study this module but students are expected to have a keen interest in the subject area.

Course aim

Upon successful completion of this module, students will:

Be confident and able to discuss, close read and write about poetry, short stories, novels and art;
Have produced and delivered oral presentations on an aspect of the course that has particularly engaged them;
Have a strong sense of how London as a European city has grown, developed and changed over the last 300 years;
Have visited and physically experienced London in a way that is informed by this growing awareness of the past and the constantly shifting permutations of life in the metropolis;
Be aware of how literature and particular literary forms have developed in order to relate these shifts in urban experience more effectively.