Course Catalogue

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This honours course explores the long tradition of Western writing on Iran (historically referred to as 'Persia'). Its coverage spans from classical accounts of the Achaemenid empire, to early-modern and modern travel-writing, Enlightenment literature, and nineteenth-century poetry, and ends with a novel by a contemporary French-Iranian writer. Through the study of these texts, students will be introduced to various facets of Iran's history and culture, as well as gaining a critical perspective on how these have been transformed and instrumentalized in a Western context. 

1x2hr seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus. This is one of the Honours options in SMLC and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Comparative Literature, and by arrangement to visiting students r students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

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Type of Assessment

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:  

■ Introduce students to Iranian history and culture. 

■ Enable students to analyse how Iran's history and culture has been transformed and
instrumentalized in a Western context. 

■ Enable students to reflect, through the case of Iran in Western literature, on wider issues pertaining to Orientalism, imperialism, cross-cultural representation, and the transcultural circulation of literature. 

■ Build on students' comparative skills by reading texts from a wide range of historical periods, languages, and literary genres. 

By the end of this course students will be able to: 

■ Discuss significant moments in Iranian history and culture, from the Achaemenid Empire to the present day. 

■ Reflect critically on Western texts' motives and methods for representing Iran 

■ Engage with wider debates pertaining to Orientalism, imperialism, cross-cultural representation, and the transcultural circulation of literature 

■ Undertake research and communicate this research effectively. 

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.