Hidden Treasures: rediscovered classics
Course Code: HLT17
Duration: 10 sessions (over 11 weeks)
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What is the course about?
You willl read, analyse and discuss carefully selected treasures of international fiction from the 20th century, including ‘After Midnight’ by Irmgard Keun (1937, Germany) and ‘All our Yesterdays' by Natalia Ginzburg (1952, Italy).
What will we cover?
You will read outstanding fictions from many countries, which range from records of exile and return, to dramatic depictions of family conflicts and complex relationships.
The course schedule is as follows:
Week 1:
Introduction to books
Week 2:
Irmgard KEUN (Germany), After Midnight (Penguin)
Weeks 3 and 4:
Natalia GINZBURG (Italy), All Our Yesterdays (Daunt Books)
Week 5:
Merce RODOREDA (Spain), Death in Spring (Penguin)
Week 6:
BREAK
Weeks 7 and 8:
Magda SZABO (Hungary), Katalin Street (Daunt Books)
Week 9 and 10:
Lalla ROMANO (Italy), A Silence Shared (Pushkin)
Week 11:
Conclusions.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Discuss a variety of genres from the post-WWII period in Europe, which produced many prominent writers.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
Anyone with an interest in 20th century fiction with a cosmopolitan sweep is welcome. You will need an enthusiasm
for reading and discussing a range of texts in a group. You will be willing and able to read and prepare outside
the class. You will be interested in listening to, and learning from, the responses of other students to the works
discussed. You will have a commitment to developing your analytical skills.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
There will be a mixture of tutor input and class discussion. The first session will be an introduction to the texts.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring copies of:
‘All our Yesterdays' by Natalia Ginzburg
‘After Midnight’ by Irmgard Keun
A full reading list will be provided in January 2023.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Please see other fiction courses on our website at www.citylit.ac.uk under history, culture and writing/literature/fiction.