We will explore the themes of poverty, politics, gender and ethnicity in London at the end of the 19th century/start of the 20th century through the eyes of writers of fiction, but also through the testimony of their non-fiction contemporaries - social investigators, government officials, journalists and philanthropists.
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
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On this in-college literature course we will analyse how fiction writers reflected the tumultuous fin de siècle - its class relations, new-found interest in structural poverty, and the shortcomings of late-capitalism to provide a basic living for many Londoners.
We will also be looking at narrative style and literary genre, and the extent to which these works may be considered as forerunners to the Modernist movement.
We will explore each author’s approach to the subject matter, and the historical background to each work of fiction, identifying any gaps in the material, inconsistencies and bias.
What will we cover?
London’s socio-economic situation; changes in literary style; class relations and political movements; and various London locations, including Lambeth, Soho, Whitechapel, Seven Dials, Shoreditch, Shadwell.
Our first session will be an introduction to the topics/authors, and then, from session 2 onwards, we will explore the following works in the order below. Information on all book links will be provided by the tutor. WEEK 1: introduction to the topic and to the course WEEK 2: A Child of the Jago by Arthur Morrison (1896) WEEK 3: The Hooligan Nights by Clarence Rook (1899) WEEK 4: In Darkest London by Margaret Harkness (1889) WEEK 5: Sissero’s Return, short story by Henry Woode Nevinson (1895) WEEK 6: No 5 John Street by Richard Whiteing (1899) WEEK 7: The Children of the Ghetto by Israel Zangwill (1892) WEEK 8: The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad (1907).
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Identify key concerns expressed about London at the end of the 19th century.
- Identify key concerns expressed about London at the end of the 19th century.
- Identify the stylistic innovation and shifts in literary genre, which anticipate the Modernist movement.
- Explain the major ideas for ending poverty as put forward in these years.
- Pursue further reading on these subjects, with a detailed bibliography/secondary reading list for each session.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No previous skills or knowledge required, but curiosity, an appetite for reading, plus a willingness to engage with occasionally distressing subject matter, will be very helpful.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
There is quite a lot of reading involved, though extracts will also be suggested if you do not have time to complete an entire book.
Teaching will be delivered via mini-lecture and seminar; students are encouraged to present a short seminar paper/presentation on any of the fictions or subjects that are of greatest interest, but this is not mandatory.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
All of the texts are out of copyright and are available to read online as listed in no.2; or they can be purchased relatively inexpensively or borrowed from a library.
Or you may wish to consider putting in an ‘inter-library loan’ request at your local library to obtain any or all of the works.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
The tutor will also be teaching two one day courses: HLT324 The East End in Fact and Fiction on Saturday 26 September and HLT302 Borderlines of Madness in 20th century fiction on Saturday 28th November. For these and other courses in Literature please look under Culture, History and Humanities at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Sarah Wise is an award-winning writer and historian, with an MA in Victorian Studies from Birkbeck, University of London. She teaches social history and literature at the University of California’s London Outreach Center. Her interests are urban history, working-class history, medical history and nineteenth-century literature and reportage. Her most recent book, Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty and the Mad-Doctors in Victorian England, was shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize. Her 2004 debut, The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave Robbery in 1830s London, was shortlisted for the 2005 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction and won the Crime Writers’ Association Golden Dagger. Her follow-up The Blackest Streets: The Life and Death of a Victorian Slum (2008) was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature's Ondaatje Prize. She was a contributor to the volume Charles Booth's London Poverty Maps, published by Thames & Hudson/London School of Economics, and appeared on BBC Radio 4's In Our Time to discuss Booth's work https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000wsxf For reviews www.sarahwise.co.uk/reviews.html
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.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/the-london-lowlife-in-fiction-1889-19071438795The London 'Lowlife' in Fiction: 1889-1907https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/t/h/the-london-lowlife-fiction-hlt313-square.jpg239239GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Literary history22851177118715981228511771187We will explore the themes of poverty, politics, gender and ethnicity in London at the end of the 19th century/start of the 20th century through the eyes of writers of fiction, but also through the testimony of their non-fiction contemporaries - social investigators, government officials, journalists and philanthropists.003037642The London 'Lowlife' in Fiction: 1889-1907239239https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/t/h/the-london-lowlife-fiction-hlt313-square_3.jpgInStockDaytimeFriKeeley StreetAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-10-16T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allOct 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT313239239The London 'Lowlife' in Fiction: 1889-1907191155239Sarah Wisethe-london-lowlife-in-fiction-1889-1907/hlt313-2627We will explore the themes of poverty, politics, gender and ethnicity in London at the end of the 19th century/start of the 20th century through the eyes of writers of fiction, but also through the testimony of their non-fiction contemporaries - social investigators, government officials, journalists and philanthropists.0000-Available|2026-10-16 00:00:00<p>On this in-college literature course we will analyse how fiction writers reflected the tumultuous fin de siècle - its class relations, new-found interest in structural poverty, and the shortcomings of late-capitalism to provide a basic living for many Londoners.<br><br>We will also be looking at narrative style and literary genre, and the extent to which these works may be considered as forerunners to the Modernist movement.<br><br>We will explore each author’s approach to the subject matter, and the historical background to each work of fiction, identifying any gaps in the material, inconsistencies and bias.<br><br></p>We will explore the themes of poverty, politics, gender and ethnicity in London at the end of the 19th century/start of the 20th century through the eyes of writers of fiction, but also through the testimony of their non-fiction contemporaries - social investigators, government officials, journalists and philanthropists.London’s socio-economic situation; changes in literary style; class relations and political movements; and various London locations, including Lambeth, Soho, Whitechapel, Seven Dials, Shoreditch, Shadwell.<br><br>Our first session will be an introduction to the topics/authors, and then, from session 2 onwards, we will explore the following works in the order below. Information on all book links will be provided by the tutor.<br>WEEK 1: introduction to the topic and to the course<br>WEEK 2: A Child of the Jago by Arthur Morrison (1896)<br>WEEK 3: The Hooligan Nights by Clarence Rook (1899)<br>WEEK 4: In Darkest London by Margaret Harkness (1889) <br>WEEK 5: Sissero’s Return, short story by Henry Woode Nevinson (1895)<br>WEEK 6: No 5 John Street by Richard Whiteing (1899)<br>WEEK 7: The Children of the Ghetto by Israel Zangwill (1892)<br>WEEK 8: The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad (1907).- Identify key concerns expressed about London at the end of the 19th century. <br><br>- Identify key concerns expressed about London at the end of the 19th century. <br><br>- Identify the stylistic innovation and shifts in literary genre, which anticipate the Modernist movement.<br><br>- Explain the major ideas for ending poverty as put forward in these years. <br> <br>- Pursue further reading on these subjects, with a detailed bibliography/secondary reading list for each session.No previous skills or knowledge required, but curiosity, an appetite for reading, plus a willingness to engage with occasionally distressing subject matter, will be very helpful.There is quite a lot of reading involved, though extracts will also be suggested if you do not have time to complete an entire book. <br><br>Teaching will be delivered via mini-lecture and seminar; students are encouraged to present a short seminar paper/presentation on any of the fictions or subjects that are of greatest interest, but this is not<br>mandatory.All of the texts are out of copyright and are available to read online as listed in no.2; or they can be purchased relatively inexpensively or borrowed from a library. <br><br>Or you may wish to consider putting in an ‘inter-library loan’ request at your local library to obtain any or all of the works.<p>The tutor will also be teaching two one day courses: HLT324 The East End in Fact and Fiction on Saturday 26 September and HLT302 Borderlines of Madness in 20th century fiction on Saturday 28th November. For these and other courses in Literature please look under Culture, History and Humanities at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureLiterary historyvirtual191239155HLT313NONEFri16/10/26 - 04/12/2610:30 - 12:3010:3012:308 sessions (over 8 weeks)85-10 weeksDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetSarah WiseBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-10-16T00:00:00+00:00Oct 2026Culture, history & humanities239239The London 'Lowlife' in Fiction: 1889-1907the-london-lowlife-in-fiction-1889-1907/hlt313-2627We will explore the themes of poverty, politics, gender and ethnicity in London at the end of the 19th century/start of the 20th century through the eyes of writers of fiction, but also through the testimony of their non-fiction contemporaries - social investigators, government officials, journalists and philanthropists.0000-Available|2026-10-16 00:00:00<p>On this in-college literature course we will analyse how fiction writers reflected the tumultuous fin de siècle - its class relations, new-found interest in structural poverty, and the shortcomings of late-capitalism to provide a basic living for many Londoners.<br><br>We will also be looking at narrative style and literary genre, and the extent to which these works may be considered as forerunners to the Modernist movement.<br><br>We will explore each author’s approach to the subject matter, and the historical background to each work of fiction, identifying any gaps in the material, inconsistencies and bias.<br><br></p>We will explore the themes of poverty, politics, gender and ethnicity in London at the end of the 19th century/start of the 20th century through the eyes of writers of fiction, but also through the testimony of their non-fiction contemporaries - social investigators, government officials, journalists and philanthropists.London’s socio-economic situation; changes in literary style; class relations and political movements; and various London locations, including Lambeth, Soho, Whitechapel, Seven Dials, Shoreditch, Shadwell.<br><br>Our first session will be an introduction to the topics/authors, and then, from session 2 onwards, we will explore the following works in the order below. Information on all book links will be provided by the tutor.<br>WEEK 1: introduction to the topic and to the course<br>WEEK 2: A Child of the Jago by Arthur Morrison (1896)<br>WEEK 3: The Hooligan Nights by Clarence Rook (1899)<br>WEEK 4: In Darkest London by Margaret Harkness (1889) <br>WEEK 5: Sissero’s Return, short story by Henry Woode Nevinson (1895)<br>WEEK 6: No 5 John Street by Richard Whiteing (1899)<br>WEEK 7: The Children of the Ghetto by Israel Zangwill (1892)<br>WEEK 8: The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad (1907).- Identify key concerns expressed about London at the end of the 19th century. <br><br>- Identify key concerns expressed about London at the end of the 19th century. <br><br>- Identify the stylistic innovation and shifts in literary genre, which anticipate the Modernist movement.<br><br>- Explain the major ideas for ending poverty as put forward in these years. <br> <br>- Pursue further reading on these subjects, with a detailed bibliography/secondary reading list for each session.No previous skills or knowledge required, but curiosity, an appetite for reading, plus a willingness to engage with occasionally distressing subject matter, will be very helpful.There is quite a lot of reading involved, though extracts will also be suggested if you do not have time to complete an entire book. <br><br>Teaching will be delivered via mini-lecture and seminar; students are encouraged to present a short seminar paper/presentation on any of the fictions or subjects that are of greatest interest, but this is not<br>mandatory.All of the texts are out of copyright and are available to read online as listed in no.2; or they can be purchased relatively inexpensively or borrowed from a library. <br><br>Or you may wish to consider putting in an ‘inter-library loan’ request at your local library to obtain any or all of the works.<p>The tutor will also be teaching two one day courses: HLT324 The East End in Fact and Fiction on Saturday 26 September and HLT302 Borderlines of Madness in 20th century fiction on Saturday 28th November. For these and other courses in Literature please look under Culture, History and Humanities at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureLiterary historyconfigurable
15981187Literary historyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/humanities/literature/literary-history1/2/285/1177/1187/15981/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Literary history
