This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of
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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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This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀.
What will we cover?
Come and dive with us into the rich world of literary writing about motherhood – in texts that reveal motherhood’s simultaneous rawness and beauty, exhaustion and joy, moments of pure exhilaration juxtaposed with the utterly mundane. We’ll explore the links between the personal and the political, and the role of literary fiction and non-fiction of making sense of motherhood as both an individual experience and an institution (to borrow Adrienne Rich’s terms).
We will look at a range of classic and contemporary literary texts, focusing on fiction and literary non-fiction, such as memoirs. We’ll read Adrienne Rich’s classic text Of Woman Born alongside more recent texts from around the world that explore contemporary motherhood in all its complexity (by writers such as Rachel Cusk, Sheila Heti, Maggie Nelson, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and Anne Enright). Each week we’ll cover a text in detail or extracts from two texts, with the aim of giving you as rich a picture as possible of the many ways writers have written about motherhood. We’ll explore how the texts navigate themes such as maternal ambivalence, the body, trauma and mental health, gender and sexuality, feminism and patriarchy, queerness, race, and creativity in relation to motherhood.
Gain a fuller understanding of the link between the personal and the political, literary representations of gender, and a better understanding of your own experiences of motherhood through reading these writers’ diverse ways of making sense of it all.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Identify and analyse a diverse range of literary texts about motherhood
Understand some of the key trends, themes and literary characteristics of writing about motherhood from the 1970s to today
Identify the texts’ literary, social, historical and political contexts.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an introductory level course and no prior experience or knowledge is required – just a willingness and ability to read the texts each week.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught through a mix of presentations from the tutor, group discussion, small group activities, and close reading and analysis, with encouragement to share your own responses and ideas about the texts.
You will need to read the text for each week before each class. The tutor may also give you optional questions to go alongside each week’s reading – these are not compulsory,but can be used to help you think through your ideas about the text before the class if you find this useful.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You will need to have access to a copy of Rachel Yoder’s Nightbitch, to bring with you in the relevant week.
Additionally, the tutor will supply digital materials, and extracts of other set readings and additional readings.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look for other courses in our Literature programme at History, Culture and Humanities/Literature at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Rebecca Jones is a researcher and lecturer in African literature, world literatures and travel writing. She has a PhD from the University of Birmingham, where she subsequently worked as a Lecturer, and is now an Honorary Research Fellow at Birmingham. Her first book, At the Crossroads: Nigerian Travel Writing and Literary Culture in Yoruba and English was published in 2019. She is an editor of the literary travel writing journal Fortunate Traveller. She works as a researcher at a charity and also runs creative journalling workshops for mothers.
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/writing-motherhood339584Writing Motherhoodhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing-motherhood-hlt18-square.jpg149149GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Courses/Culture, history & humanities/Literature/Literary non-fiction/Courses/New courses/Courses/International Women's Day at City Lit/Courses/vm/Summer courses/Courses/vm/Summer courses/Summer courses in humanities228511771187127651743200313457135721228511771187165313457<p>This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. </p>002744825Writing Motherhood149149https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing-motherhood-hlt18-square_2.jpgInStockEveningTueOnlineAvailable courses5-10 weeksWeekday2026-06-09T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allJun 2026Culture, history & humanitiesHLT18149149Writing Motherhood14997149Rebecca Joneswriting-motherhood/hlt18-2526<p>This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. </p>0000-Available|2026-06-09 00:00:00<p>This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. </p><p>This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. </p><p>Come and dive with us into the rich world of literary writing about motherhood – in texts that reveal motherhood’s simultaneous rawness and beauty, exhaustion and joy, moments of pure exhilaration juxtaposed with the utterly mundane. We’ll explore the links between the personal and the political, and the role of literary fiction and non-fiction of making sense of motherhood as both an individual experience and an institution (to borrow Adrienne Rich’s terms). </p><p>We will look at a range of classic and contemporary literary texts, focusing on fiction and literary non-fiction, such as memoirs. We’ll read Adrienne Rich’s classic text <em>Of Woman Born </em>alongside more recent texts from around the world that explore contemporary motherhood in all its complexity (by writers such as Rachel Cusk, Sheila Heti, Maggie Nelson, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and Anne Enright). Each week we’ll cover a text in detail or extracts from two texts, with the aim of giving you as rich a picture as possible of the many ways writers have written about motherhood. We’ll explore how the texts navigate themes such as maternal ambivalence, the body, trauma and mental health, gender and sexuality, feminism and patriarchy, queerness, race, and creativity in relation to motherhood. </p><p>Gain a fuller understanding of the link between the personal and the political, literary representations of gender, and a better understanding of your own experiences of motherhood through reading these writers’ diverse ways of making sense of it all. </p><p> </p><p>Identify and analyse a diverse range of literary texts about motherhood</p><p>Understand some of the key trends, themes and literary characteristics of writing about motherhood from the 1970s to today</p><p>Identify the texts’ literary, social, historical and political contexts. </p><p> </p><p>This is an introductory level course and no prior experience or knowledge is required – just a willingness and ability to read the texts each week. </p><p>You will be taught through a mix of presentations from the tutor, group discussion, small group activities, and close reading and analysis, with encouragement to share your own responses and ideas about the texts. </p><p>You will need to read the text for each week before each class. The tutor may also give you optional questions to go alongside each week’s reading – these are not compulsory,but can be used to help you think through your ideas about the text before the class if you find this useful. </p><p>You will need to have access to a copy of Rachel Yoder’s <em>Nightbitch</em>, to bring with you in the relevant week. </p><p>Additionally, the tutor will supply digital materials, and extracts of other set readings and additional readings. </p><p>Look for other courses in our Literature programme at History, Culture and Humanities/Literature at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureLiterary non-fictionvirtual14914997HLT18NONETue09/06/26 - 14/07/2619:15 - 20:4519:1520:456 sessions (over 6 weeks)65-10 weeksWeekdayOnlineOnlineRebecca JonesBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-06-09T00:00:00+00:00EveningJun 2026Culture, history & humanities149149Writing Motherhoodwriting-motherhood/hlt18-2526<p>This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. </p>0000-Available|2026-06-09 00:00:00<p>This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. </p><p>This in-college literature course explores the extraordinarily diverse world of writing about motherhood. We’ll look at literary texts that have firmly rebuked any notions of motherhood as ‘merely’ domestic, and have instead made it the subject of serious literary writing, have explored major themes such as the body, trauma, gender, queerness, race and creativity, and have written diverse truths about the realities of motherhood. You’ll leave this course with an understanding of classic texts about motherhood by authors such as Adrienne Rich as well as more recent texts by authors such as Rachel Cusk, Maggie Nelson and Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. </p><p>Come and dive with us into the rich world of literary writing about motherhood – in texts that reveal motherhood’s simultaneous rawness and beauty, exhaustion and joy, moments of pure exhilaration juxtaposed with the utterly mundane. We’ll explore the links between the personal and the political, and the role of literary fiction and non-fiction of making sense of motherhood as both an individual experience and an institution (to borrow Adrienne Rich’s terms). </p><p>We will look at a range of classic and contemporary literary texts, focusing on fiction and literary non-fiction, such as memoirs. We’ll read Adrienne Rich’s classic text <em>Of Woman Born </em>alongside more recent texts from around the world that explore contemporary motherhood in all its complexity (by writers such as Rachel Cusk, Sheila Heti, Maggie Nelson, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ and Anne Enright). Each week we’ll cover a text in detail or extracts from two texts, with the aim of giving you as rich a picture as possible of the many ways writers have written about motherhood. We’ll explore how the texts navigate themes such as maternal ambivalence, the body, trauma and mental health, gender and sexuality, feminism and patriarchy, queerness, race, and creativity in relation to motherhood. </p><p>Gain a fuller understanding of the link between the personal and the political, literary representations of gender, and a better understanding of your own experiences of motherhood through reading these writers’ diverse ways of making sense of it all. </p><p> </p><p>Identify and analyse a diverse range of literary texts about motherhood</p><p>Understand some of the key trends, themes and literary characteristics of writing about motherhood from the 1970s to today</p><p>Identify the texts’ literary, social, historical and political contexts. </p><p> </p><p>This is an introductory level course and no prior experience or knowledge is required – just a willingness and ability to read the texts each week. </p><p>You will be taught through a mix of presentations from the tutor, group discussion, small group activities, and close reading and analysis, with encouragement to share your own responses and ideas about the texts. </p><p>You will need to read the text for each week before each class. The tutor may also give you optional questions to go alongside each week’s reading – these are not compulsory,but can be used to help you think through your ideas about the text before the class if you find this useful. </p><p>You will need to have access to a copy of Rachel Yoder’s <em>Nightbitch</em>, to bring with you in the relevant week. </p><p>Additionally, the tutor will supply digital materials, and extracts of other set readings and additional readings. </p><p>Look for other courses in our Literature programme at History, Culture and Humanities/Literature at www.citylit.ac.uk.</p>LiteratureLiterary non-fictionconfigurable
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