On this in-college literature course we will explore how British authors of the 1980s approached (and influenced) the emerging world of identity politics, through fiction by Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, Alan Hollinghurst and Hanif Kureishi.
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In his 1985 essay ‘The Rainbow Sign’, Hanif Kureishi examined the history of postwar racism in Britain and declared that ‘The fightback is underway.’ Stating that ‘It is the British, the white British, who have to learn that being British isn’t what it was. Now it is a more complex thing, involving new elements.’ We will read his novel The Buddha of Suburbia in this context, considering the impact of this depiction of a mixed-race upbringing on the literary landscape.
Jeanette Winterson’s Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit was another seminal coming-of-age fiction but with a very different angle. Winterson was ‘arguably the first popular, established British writer to write openly from a lesbian perspective’, but she also found new ways to subvert patriarchal values in her novel’s use and abuse of the Bible.
Angela Carter, already one of the most important British writers, pushed new boundaries in the wildly inventive Nights at the Circus, which rejected not just gender norms but the very laws of biology.
Alan Hollinghurst’s The Swimming-Pool Library was one of the first mainstream novels to graphically depict homosexual sex and desire, but the novel also enacts an extensive inquiry into the history of gay life and its representation.
What will we cover?
Biography: the significance of autobiographical elements to these authors’ early works
Style: fictional incorporations of the fantastic, the explicit and the scriptural
Characters: youth, identity and shock value
Reception: critical and popular reaction to challenging new attitudes and ideas
Context: the emergence of identity politics in Thatcher’s Britain
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Discuss important examples of 1980s British literature in an informed manner
Understand the autobiographical and contextual background to these works
Recognise some stylistic characteristics of four significant British authors
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
All you need is enthusiasm for reading and discussing literature.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The class will be highly participatory and interactive, with a combination of tutor presentation, small group work, close reading exercises and class discussion.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please buy or borrow a copy of the following, ideally in the stated editions.
Angela Carter, Nights at the Circus (Vintage Classics)
Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (Vintage)
Alan Hollinghurst, The Swimming-Pool Library (Vintage Classics)
Hanif Kureishi, The Buddha of Suburbia (Faber)
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look for other Fiction courses in our Literature programme under History, Culture and Humanities/Literature/Fiction at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Lewis Ward is a London-based teacher and editor. His PhD (University of Exeter) focused on history, memory and trauma in contemporary narratives. He has taught at four UK universities, covering most literary periods and genres along the way.
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.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/british-literature-of-the-1980s-identities2744885British Literature of the 1980s: Identitieshttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/autobiography-into-poetry-hw640-1024.jpg179179GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Fiction/Courses/Online courses228511771187118817311228511771187<p>On this in-college literature course we will explore how British authors of the 1980s approached (and influenced) the emerging world of identity politics, through fiction by Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, Alan Hollinghurst and Hanif Kureishi.</p>002744786British Literature of the 1980s: Identities179179https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/category/autobiography-into-poetry-hw640-1024.jpgInStockEveningTueOnlineAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-05-12T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allMay 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT215179179British Literature of the 1980s: Identities179116179Lewis Wardbritish-literature-of-the-1980s-identities/hlt215-2526<p>On this in-college literature course we will explore how British authors of the 1980s approached (and influenced) the emerging world of identity politics, through fiction by Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, Alan Hollinghurst and Hanif Kureishi.</p>0000-Available|2026-05-12 00:00:00<p>In his 1985 essay ‘The Rainbow Sign’, Hanif Kureishi examined the history of postwar racism in Britain and declared that ‘The fightback is underway.’ Stating that ‘It is the British, the white British, who have to learn that being British isn’t what it was. Now it is a more complex thing, involving new elements.’ We will read his novel <em>The Buddha of Suburbia</em> in this context, considering the impact of this depiction of a mixed-race upbringing on the literary landscape.</p><p>Jeanette Winterson’s <em>Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit</em> was another seminal coming-of-age fiction but with a very different angle. Winterson was ‘arguably the first popular, established British writer to write openly from a lesbian perspective’, but she also found new ways to subvert patriarchal values in her novel’s use and abuse of the Bible. </p><p>Angela Carter, already one of the most important British writers, pushed new boundaries in the wildly inventive <em>Nights at the Circus</em>, which rejected not just gender norms but the very laws of biology.</p><p>Alan Hollinghurst’s <em>The Swimming-Pool Library</em> was one of the first mainstream novels to graphically depict homosexual sex and desire, but the novel also enacts an extensive inquiry into the history of gay life and its representation. </p><p> </p><p>On this in-college literature course we will explore how British authors of the 1980s approached (and influenced) the emerging world of identity politics, through fiction by Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, Alan Hollinghurst and Hanif Kureishi.</p><ul><li>Biography: the significance of autobiographical elements to these authors’ early works</li><li>Style: fictional incorporations of the fantastic, the explicit and the scriptural</li><li>Characters: youth, identity and shock value</li><li>Reception: critical and popular reaction to challenging new attitudes and ideas</li><li>Context: the emergence of identity politics in Thatcher’s Britain</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Discuss important examples of 1980s British literature in an informed manner</li><li>Understand the autobiographical and contextual background to these works</li><li>Recognise some stylistic characteristics of four significant British authors</li></ul><p>All you need is enthusiasm for reading and discussing literature.</p><p>The class will be highly participatory and interactive, with a combination of tutor presentation, small group work, close reading exercises and class discussion. </p><p>Please buy or borrow a copy of the following, ideally in the stated editions.</p><ul><li>Angela Carter, <em>Nights at the Circus</em> (Vintage Classics) </li><li>Jeanette Winterson, <em>Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit</em> (Vintage)</li><li>Alan Hollinghurst, <em>The Swimming-Pool Library</em> (Vintage Classics) </li><li>Hanif Kureishi, <em>The Buddha of Suburbia</em> (Faber)</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Look for other Fiction courses in our Literature programme under History, Culture and Humanities/Literature/Fiction at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureFictionvirtual179179116HLT215NONETue12/05/26 - 30/06/2618:00 - 19:3018:0019:308 sessions (over 8 weeks)85-10 weeksEveningWeekdayOnlineOnlineLewis WardBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-05-12T00:00:00+00:00May 2026Culture, history & humanities179179British Literature of the 1980s: Identitiesbritish-literature-of-the-1980s-identities/hlt215-2526<p>On this in-college literature course we will explore how British authors of the 1980s approached (and influenced) the emerging world of identity politics, through fiction by Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, Alan Hollinghurst and Hanif Kureishi.</p>0000-Available|2026-05-12 00:00:00<p>In his 1985 essay ‘The Rainbow Sign’, Hanif Kureishi examined the history of postwar racism in Britain and declared that ‘The fightback is underway.’ Stating that ‘It is the British, the white British, who have to learn that being British isn’t what it was. Now it is a more complex thing, involving new elements.’ We will read his novel <em>The Buddha of Suburbia</em> in this context, considering the impact of this depiction of a mixed-race upbringing on the literary landscape.</p><p>Jeanette Winterson’s <em>Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit</em> was another seminal coming-of-age fiction but with a very different angle. Winterson was ‘arguably the first popular, established British writer to write openly from a lesbian perspective’, but she also found new ways to subvert patriarchal values in her novel’s use and abuse of the Bible. </p><p>Angela Carter, already one of the most important British writers, pushed new boundaries in the wildly inventive <em>Nights at the Circus</em>, which rejected not just gender norms but the very laws of biology.</p><p>Alan Hollinghurst’s <em>The Swimming-Pool Library</em> was one of the first mainstream novels to graphically depict homosexual sex and desire, but the novel also enacts an extensive inquiry into the history of gay life and its representation. </p><p> </p><p>On this in-college literature course we will explore how British authors of the 1980s approached (and influenced) the emerging world of identity politics, through fiction by Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, Alan Hollinghurst and Hanif Kureishi.</p><ul><li>Biography: the significance of autobiographical elements to these authors’ early works</li><li>Style: fictional incorporations of the fantastic, the explicit and the scriptural</li><li>Characters: youth, identity and shock value</li><li>Reception: critical and popular reaction to challenging new attitudes and ideas</li><li>Context: the emergence of identity politics in Thatcher’s Britain</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>Discuss important examples of 1980s British literature in an informed manner</li><li>Understand the autobiographical and contextual background to these works</li><li>Recognise some stylistic characteristics of four significant British authors</li></ul><p>All you need is enthusiasm for reading and discussing literature.</p><p>The class will be highly participatory and interactive, with a combination of tutor presentation, small group work, close reading exercises and class discussion. </p><p>Please buy or borrow a copy of the following, ideally in the stated editions.</p><ul><li>Angela Carter, <em>Nights at the Circus</em> (Vintage Classics) </li><li>Jeanette Winterson, <em>Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit</em> (Vintage)</li><li>Alan Hollinghurst, <em>The Swimming-Pool Library</em> (Vintage Classics) </li><li>Hanif Kureishi, <em>The Buddha of Suburbia</em> (Faber)</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Look for other Fiction courses in our Literature programme under History, Culture and Humanities/Literature/Fiction at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureFictionconfigurable
11881187Fictionhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/literature/fiction1/2/285/1177/1187/11881/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Fiction
