City Lit reading group 1
Time: 12:30 - 14:30
Location: Keeley Street
Sorry, this course is now full
Course Code: HLT06
Duration: 6 sessions (over 38 weeks)
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What is the course about?
This is not so much a course as a forum for a group of us to share our feelings about and reactions to a selection of contemporary novels. Please come to the first session with suggestions (contemporary fiction in paperback) and having read 'Unsettled Ground', by Claire Fuller. “Entrancing … A brilliant and sly study of family in a rural English cottage, the kind of fairy-tale landscape people dream about.” Susan Straight, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2021.
What will we cover?
You will read books chosen by group consensus, considering a range of contemporary fiction, written in English.
During the session we will discuss the novel in question by considering various aspects such as theme, plot,
characters, etc. We will also discuss how successful we think the author has been in the particular work.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- read books you might not have considered before
- focus on key points when discussing a literary work
- express your opinion clearly.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The level of the course is introductory. No previous knowledge or experience of Literature is necessary. However,
learners will, ideally, need the following skills and attributes:
An enthusiasm for reading and discussing a range of texts in large and small groups.
A willingness and ability to do some reading and preparation outside the class. You will be expected to read the
selected novel for each session.
An interest in, and ability to listen to, the responses of other students to the work discussed.
A commitment to acquiring and developing ways of understanding how the writer uses language to achieve effect.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The group will select a novel to be read before the following session, when there will be a group
discussion on the merits of the book in question.
Meetings take place twice a term on 29 September and 10 November 2023; 2 February, 1 March, 10 May and 14 June 2024.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You will need to read and bring a copy of 'Unsettled Ground', by Claire Fuller to the first session.
You will be required to borrow or buy the selected book in paperback for each session.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
We also have HLT14 Reading Group 2 that meets 3 times a term on Fridays from 12.30-2.30pm and an online Evening Reading Group HLT173 runs on Mondays from 7-8.30pm.
Look up other fiction courses on the City Lit website under History, Culture and Writing/Literature at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Kate is a teacher and researcher in English literature. She holds a PhD in English from Queen Mary, University of London, where she has also taught on a range of literature courses. Kate’s specialist interest is twenty-first-century fiction, and she’s delighted to be teaching new City Lit courses about contemporary writing. Kate is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Authority, and a member of the British Association for Contemporary Literary Studies. She has published articles in academic journals and is now working on a book about contemporary novels and letters. Kate is fascinated by new writing, and only gradually coming to terms with the fact that there will never be enough time to read everything she’d like to.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.