Burning to Read (Q9132)
30 credits, Level 4
Autumn teaching
Why study literature? This module centres questions of why we read prose, poetry, and plays, exploring not just what we do to texts, but what texts do to us. Telling stories about the world that can start fires and help put them out, we’ll ask how literary forms make (different) sense of the world and explore literature’s intimate connection with politics and identity.
The work you do on this module will help you gain the practices needed for your degree while helping you understand what it means to be part of an academic community that reads together.
Through a variety of genres and texts from across historical periods, both local and global, we’ll introduce you to literature that might:
- destabilise your worldview
- open up new sources of joy
- reflect your own thoughts back to you
- introduce worlds, people – even futures – you might not have encountered otherwise.
Teaching
40%: Lecture
27%: Practical (Workshop)
33%: Seminar
40%: Lecture
27%: Practical (Workshop)
33%: SeminarAssessment
40%: Practical (Professional log)
60%: Written assessment (Essay, Report)
40%: Practical (Professional log)
60%: Written assessment (Essay, Report)Contact hours and workload
This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 55 hours of contact time and about 245 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.
We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
Courses
This module is offered on the following courses: