British literature of the 1980s: the Granta generation

What is the course about?

This in-college literature course takes its cue from Granta Magazine choosing its ‘Best of Young British Novelists’ for the first time in 1983, showcasing the work of all twenty in its Issue 7. At the time, change was in the air for British fiction; the first creative writing courses were producing the likes of Kazuo Ishiguro and Ian McEwan, while the success of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children was opening the door to writers with non-standard backgrounds. The careers of now-celebrated authors like Pat Barker, Rose Tremain and Julian Barnes were just beginning, while other writers named in Granta’s list are now little-remembered.

On this course we will look back at this exciting and fertile period in British literature by reading the published extracts of all 20 writers, followed by three representative full novels: Pat Barker’s Union Street (1982), Graham Swift’s Waterland (1983) and Julian Barnes’ Flaubert’s Parrot (1984).

What will we cover?

Week 1 – Granta 7: Best of Young British Novelists.
Week 2 – Granta 7: Best of Young British Novelists (continued).
Week 3 – Pat Barker, Union Street.
Week 4 – Pat Barker, Union Street (continued).
Week 5 – Graham Swift, Waterland.
Week 6 – Graham Swift, Waterland (continued).
Week 7 – Julian Barnes, Flaubert’s Parrot.
Week 8 – Julian Barnes, Flaubert’s Parrot (continued).

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Identify the writers considered to be the ‘best of young British novelists’ in 1983
• Discuss the social issues and concerns highlighted by their work in the context of the decade
• Analyse the literary qualities of selected writers and reasons for their subsequent success or otherwise.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

All you need is enthusiasm for reading and discussing fiction.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

The classes will be highly participatory and interactive, with a combination of pair and group work, close reading exercises and class discussion. Your own responses and ideas will be to the fore, but with expert guidance on hand from the tutor. Each week you will be given some reading along with topics/questions to think about before the next class.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You’ll need to buy or borrow:
Granta 7: Best of Young British Novelists (Granta Publications Ltd, 978-0140140828)
Pat Barker, Union Street (Virago Modern Classics, 1982)
Graham Swift, Waterland (Scribner, 2019)
Julian Barnes, Flaubert’s Parrot (Vintage, 2009).

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Other fiction courses this term include HLT295 Contemporary Women's Fiction and HLT287 Reading BrexLit: three Novels. Look for these and other Fiction courses at www.citylit.ac.uk/courses under History, Culture & Writing/Literature/Fiction.