LSH Magazine Issue 4 (PDF) - University of Lincoln

MAMAEnglish Studies21st Century LiteratureThe MA in English Studies is anestablished Master’s programme thathas been running since 2007. It is aflexible course, providing the freedomto develop your own academic interestsby specialising simultaneously in severalareas of English Studies or developinga more sustained focus on a particularperiod, genre or theme.Several English lecturers are expertsin contemporary literature, which isreflected in the ‘English Now’ coremodules on fiction, poetry, dramaand life writing produced since2000. But there is also expertise inRenaissance literature, the eighteenthcentury and Victorian literature, whichis demonstrated in the historicaloptions offered on this programme.Students choose two modules froma list of options, which currently includeRenaissance poetry; late eighteenth andnineteenth century life writing; poetryin the nineteenth century; visual andmaterial culture in the nineteenth century;literature of the Thatcher era; utopianand dystopian writing; contemporaryAmerican fiction; and ecocriticism.The final element of the programmeis a 15,000-word dissertation on atopic of the student’s choice, writtenduring the summer and supported bya dissertation supervisor.The MA can be studied full or part-time,and all teaching is scheduled on oneday per week– Wednesday – makingthe degree ideal for those with work orfamily commitments. After graduation,many of our MA students stay with usto study at PhD level.This ground-breaking new MA in 21stcentury literature is the first master’sprogramme in the UK and probably theworld, entirely focussed on literaturepublished since 2000. A great deal oflively, troubling and engaging writinghas already been produced in the 21stcentury, and studying literature thatis genuinely contemporary raisesfascinating and important challenges.The ‘English Now’ modules, sharedwith the MA in English Studies, exploresome of the writing produced inthe first decade of the new millennium.This includes poetry by John Burnside,Daljit Nagra and Kathleen Jamie, dramaby Martin McDonagh, Caryl Churchill,Alecky Blythe and Mark Ravenhill, fictionby David Peace, Ali Smith andNadeem Aslam, and life writing byAlexander Masters, Lorna Sage,and Colm Toibin. The option modulescover an exciting range of topics andgenres from 21st century literary theory,contemporary literary representations ofLondon, 21st century women’s writing,postmillennial short stories, the neo-Victorian novel, contemporary Americanfiction, utopian and dystopian writing,literature and Thatcherism, ecocriticism,and reading trauma in the 21st century.Students are required to write their15,000 word dissertation on 21stcentury texts or topics.Students can choose to study this MA fullor part-time and all teaching takes placeon one day per week – Wednesday -which makes this programme particularlyattractive to those with employmentor family commitments.MA students will join a vibrant 21stcenturyresearch culture, which includesthe hosting by Lincoln of the ‘InterrogatingTrauma in the Humanities’ and thefirst two ‘What Happens Now: 21stCentury Writing in English’ Internationalconferences; Lincoln’s ‘21st CenturyResearch Group’; the involvement ofLincoln English staff in new academicjournal, C21 Literature: A Journal of 21stcenturyWritings; and Siân Adiseshiahand Rupert Hildyard’s editorship of newbook, Twenty-First Century Fiction: WhatHappens Now, Palgrave, 2013.Interested applicants for both the MA English Studies and MA 21st Century Literatureare invited to contact Dr Siân Adiseshiah, via sadiseshiah@lincoln.ac.ukFor more information, have a look at our blog: http://maenglish.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk.Lincoln EnglishStudent view:Carolyn EmeryMA English StudiesI chose to take the MA in Englishstudies with the expectation of readinga wide range of novels and learninghow to understand more aboutmodern literature and its wider context.The course succeeded fully on bothcounts. As well as studying novels,the course included poetry and plays,all of which were unfamiliar to me. Iparticularly enjoyed the process ofwriting a dissertation which gave me theopportunity to get my teeth thoroughlystuck into a subject of my choice.The focus of the course was seminar ledwith the benefit of discussing the set textand hearing what other students thought,led by our tutors. It was hard work (the21st century literary theory moduleespecially so!) but as with so much inlife, the more you put into somethingthe more you get out of it and Ithoroughly enjoyed the experience.Staff PublicationTwenty-First Century FictionWe are delighted to announce thepublication of Twenty-First Century Fiction– the very first book on the 21st centurynovel. 21st-century literary studies is arapidly growing field, in which Lincoln isleading the way. The book is a collectionof exciting critical essays on some of themost interesting and innovative writers ofthe new century, such as David Peace, AliSmith, John Burnside, Glen Duncan andMargaret Atwood. It is edited bytwo English lecturers from within LSH,Dr Siân Adiseshiah and Dr RupertHildyard, the former of whom is theprogramme leader of the MA in 21stCentury Literature and the MA inEnglish Studies. The book includesessays by another English academic,Dr Phil Redpath, as well as a colleaguefrom Media, Dr Dean Lockwood.14Booker Reading GroupCarolyn Emery and Tricia StuartWe enjoyed the process of readingand then discussing modern literatureso much that we didn’t want it to endafter the course! So we are running a21st century literature reading group(supported by the school of Humanities)in Room 102 of the University Library,5 30pm on the second Wednesday ofeach month. So far we’ve read throughthe 2012 Booker prize shortlist andconcluded that Mantel was a worthy –if safe – winner. The group is aimed for‘lay’ readers (English students shouldhave enough to read!) so that we canall find more in the texts by sharing ourviews. Literary theory does creep in, butwe are not trying to be overtly academic,rather to have a good discussionabout what succeeds – or fails – withthe chosen text. Please email us atbookerreadinggroup@hotmail.co.ukto find out what we’re reading now.I have always enjoyed reading, andthought the course on 21st Centuryliterature at the University of Lincolnwould offer the opportunity to read anddiscuss books with like-minded people.The course covered contemporarynovels, poetry and plays and introducedme to authors I already knew as well asones I did not, encouraging me to readnew authors and genres, which was verystimulating. I had not studied formally forover 20 years so the thought of writingessays was a bit daunting, after somesupport for the first assignment,I seemed to get the idea.The course also involved deliveringa paper to fellow students at twosymposiums during the year. Thispresented the challenge of organisingthoughts, ideas and arguments ina very different way from writing anassignment. It also provided the chanceto hear the ideas and thoughts of others.I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects ofthe course.Student view:Tricia ReidMA 21st Century Literature15