ESH7038
Writing the East End
Level 7 (30 credits)
This module considers the mythology of the East End of London as articulated and interrogated by literary texts. It focuses on the period from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day and examines the East End as a continuing site of public fascination and creative production. By exploring a selected body of novels and other texts, considered with reference to different aspects of the mobile environment of the East End and contemporary debate, the module develops an understanding of how texts organise and articulate urban space and urban change. In particular, it explores the ways that fiction and prose writing have represented the East End as a site of immigration, cross-class encounter, crime, political activism and memory.
Preparing for this module and approximate costs:
There is no advance preparation for this module.
If you would like to find out more about east London, look at John Marriott's book East of the Tower (a history of east London), and the Spitalfields Life blog.
But most importantly, take some long walks around east London, and look around you. We will be doing some more walking during the module.
Set texts for this module include Arnold Wesker, Chicken Soup with Barley, Iain Sinclar and Rachel Lichtenstein, Rodinsky's Room, Melanie McGrath, Silvertown, Tony White, Foxy-T. If purchased new these will cost approximately £42. Note that these costs can often be reduced by purchasing books second-hand or borrowing them from the Library.
All other texts are available free digitally or will be provided on QMPlus.
There is some content covered on the programme that you may find challenging and sensitive. We do not issue content notes for individual texts (written, performance, visual, sonic etc.), but please do contact your module tutor and/or convenor and/or adviser if you have concerns or problems relating any of the content, themes or discussions.
Programme |
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Learning Context |
Long Seminar |
Semester |
Semester 2 |
Assessment |
1. Essay (4000 words) 100% |
Contact |
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School of English and Drama, Queen Mary University of London
Contact: sed-information@qmul.ac.uk
Last updated on 5 Aug 2024 by Richard Coulton
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