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This course will introduce a fascinating period of English history, during which poetry, prose and the arts produced some of the touchstones of British culture. We will explore a range of poetry including Thomas Wyatt’s, love poetry, Ralegh’s verse, Edmund Spenser’s homage to Elizabeth I, John Donne’s astonishing poems of love and divinity, and Milton’s early poems; playwrights, Shakespeare and Marlowe, and prose writers such as Tyndale and his translations from the Bible, Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer and extracts from the King James’ Bible. Additional context for the period will be provided from paintings, contemporary documents and letters. All texts will be provided on Canvas.

From the most idealised to the most troubled narratives, childhood has consistently been a source of inspiration in literature. In this course, we will be considering how a range of authors represent childhood, the themes that connect with this idea, and how different contexts have changed how childhood is portrayed. Through our discussions, we will be analysing texts across different genres, reflecting on the questions and challenges that writers face when representing this profoundly influential stage in life.

Plays of Brian Friel will be studied, read and workshopped. The group will discuss his stage devices and how his plays might be produced. We shall look at aspects of how he creates characters and tells epic stories on stage that resonate with current modern theatre audiences. His plays use intriguing theatrical metaphors and poetic structures to reflect on the ways in which Ireland has evolved, resisted and grown over its history. Friel’s writing produces powerful imagery on-stage that take audiences into the heart of the issues he explores. Over ten weeks, two to three plays will be discussed and workshopped to appreciate the various theatrical devices that Friel often uses.

This course will examine Ireland’s unique contribution to twentieth century poetry in English. We will explore the work of two Nobel Prize winners, W.B. Yeats and Seamus Heaney, plus the work of Patrick Kavanagh, Louis MacNeice and Michael Longley. Additionally, we will refer in passing to poems by numerous other poets such as Paul Muldoon and Derek Mahon. We will analyse those elements which have contributed to Ireland’s distinctive contribution to world literature in the last 100 years, and discuss the relationship between a politically troubled history and creativity. There will be ample opportunities for discussion in what will be lively sessions.

In this course we will be celebrating, criticising and discussing together writings which either portray rebellion and defiance, or which by their very style overturn the rules. From the most modern writers today such as Sarah Moss and Zoe Gilbert through to Shakespeare’s plays and back in time to legendary figures described by the earliest writers in English, questions arise around rebels, their actions – and how authors perceive them: what situations drive personal or political acts of rebellion? What is an author’s intention in presenting disobedience or unrest? How do writers portray to us the act of rebellion or the character of a rebel? Together, we shall be seeking answers.

On this course we will explore: ● How the ghosts of metre and rhyme may exist in free verse, and how to achieve this ● How rhythm is generated within free verse through sonic devices. ● How rhythms of conversational speech are related to the rhythm of free verse, and how this produces a form of elevated speech. ● Rhyme and Rhythm in traditional poetry. The course will explore one technique each week and concentrate on workshopping this via the development of a subject during each session. These sessions will be built from structured inspiration tasks, discussion and experimentation with ideas and languages.

The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley famously said that ‘Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.’ This course tracks the development of English poetry, from the sonnets of Shakespeare to the contemporary poetry of Jack Underwood, Emily Berry, and Rachael Allen. As well as considering each of the poets in isolation from week to week, we will also use the seven week course to ask ourselves: how has poetry developed through the years, and what has remained the same? As well as considering each of the poets and poems in isolation from week to week, we will also take the opportunity to compare what aspects No previous knowledge of poetry is necessary – everybody is most welcome!

This ten-week course will explore at least five poets (two weeks per-poet) from the Bloodaxe Books anthology Identity Parade: New British & Irish Poets. Over the course of these sessions we will consider how the subject matter, style and cultural positioning of these poets from a range of diverse backgrounds contributes to a sense of a contemporary poetic identity in the individual sense, but also as far as we might be able to gauge more generally the ‘state of affairs’ of recently written poetry in the English language. We will examine the background of each poet we read along with reference to quality critical appraisals of each one. The sessions will combine close-reading and audio-visual materials with lively, inclusive and hopefully invigorating discussion. Whether you are just coming into poetry or have been reading and/or writing it for some time you will be welcome along to these sessions.

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on creating and developing character. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers.

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on character creation. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers.