ESH7078

Curating London

Level 7 (30 credits)

How does London's built environment narrate the city? Are we able to read London through its architecture, civic spaces and museums? How might we read London's spaces alongside texts representing them? In this module, we adopt a situated view of the city's literary and visual cultures, conceptualising London as a curated space. We ask how London's built environments frame our understanding and guide our interpretation of the city and its literary representation. As such, we will visit a series of key sites across the city, reflecting on the ways in which their histories of construction and destruction have been represented in the literary and visual arts over time and asking how these spaces seek to represent the city of London today.

Preparing for this module and approximate costs:

There are no specific preparations required for this module. If you are new to London, you may well wish to read a little more of its history. Peter Ackroyd's monumental London: a Biography is good to dip into. You may also enjoy watching some of the many films made about the city, including Patrick Keiller's London (1994). Otherwise, we will be making a series of excursions into the city ourselves, which will give you rich opportunity to (re)familiarise yourself with its many spaces and histories. 

As we will be holding a number of sessions off-campus, you will need to pay for public transport, likely the tube, some days. Discounted fares are available to Student Railcard holders--you need to apply for Student Oyster card once you have your railcard. Otherwise, the busses from Mile End are cheaper, reliable and plentiful. 

 
Programme
Learning Context Long Seminar
Semester Semester 1
Assessment

1. Written Assignment 100%

Contact

School of English and Drama, Queen Mary University of London
Contact: sed-information@qmul.ac.uk

Last updated on 11 Sept 2024 by Richard Coulton
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