This course will introduce students to the study of the novel in English. Focussing on a mixture of established and contemporary texts by a diverse range of authors, it will meld critical exploration with skill-acquisition via a series of interactive workshops, alongside seminars and lectures. Students will be encouraged to refine their appreciation of the novel as an art-form, and develop transferable skills in communication, critical reflection, and digital fluency.

Seminars x1 (one hour)

Lectures x2 (one hour)

Workshop x 1 (one hour)

None

None

Critical Skills Toolkit, totalling 1000 words (30%)

Assessed Essay: 2500-word essay (60%)

Seminar Contribution (10%)

This course aims to:

■ Situate the literary, formal, and conceptual study of the novel in a contemporaneous critical milieu.

■ Foster the acquisition of critical skills through the integration of interactive forums, including online and blended learning platforms.

■ Embed academic writing skills and the skills of critical reflection in a range of participatory pedagogical fora.

■ Encourage a robust sense of the intellectual and conceptual vigour of English Literature as a critical discipline in the academy.

■ Promote an inclusive curriculum via the study of a diverse range of writers and texts.

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

■ Engage with the linguistic, formal, socio-political, and thematic complexities of the novel as a literary art-form.

■ Navigate the digital world with fluency, and cultivate a hybrid approach to online and analogue practice and research.

■ Acquire transferable skills in relation to writing, communication, evidence-selection, and analytical reasoning.

■ Develop an independent and flexible approach to critical thinking and cultural reflection.

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