This module explores contemporary writing in relation to broad ideas about the historical present, the problems of periodization, and the nature of time. Special attention is devoted to questions of technology, innovation and social change that bring into question the category of writing itself, its role in theoretical debates, its place in contemporary philosophy, and its transformations in the context of digital culture. With its twin focus on the conceptualization of 'writing' and the 'present', the module aims to offer a detailed survey of issues that relate to the notion of the contemporary, both in academic contexts and in lived social experience.