English Literature: insight4me English Literature – Dystopian Literature With Dr Birgit Breidenbach From University of East Anglia & Dr Padraig Kirwan From Goldsmiths, University of London

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• University of East Anglia: Dr Birgit Breidenbach, Lecturer in Literature and Philosophy, School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing will present: Living in a dystopian age: how can literature help us navigate it? Dystopian literature is often understood as a set of ‘cautionary tales’: it is meant to warn us of what might happen to humanity if we continue down a treacherous ideological or technological path. But what if we are already living in a dystopian world? Covid-19, impending climate catastrophe and ongoing social injustices make the 21^st century look rather bleak. What could the place of dystopian literature be if it no longer functions as a warning against a potentially catastrophic future because we are already living in it? In this session, we will explore this question and consider to what extent dystopian literature might help us navigate a dystopian present. 

• Goldsmiths, University of London: Dr Padraig Kirwan, Senior Lecturer in the Literature of the Americas in the Department of English and Creative Writing will present: “The Frailty of Everything Revealed at Last”: Reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. This session will examine Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road – one of the newer additions to the A Level syllabus. As well as offering a comprehensive overview of the religious, cultural, narratological and political impulses that shape the book, Padraig will consider the extent to which many symbols found in McCarthy’s text comment on social justice, the potential environmental catastrophe, and dystopian impulses in American literature and culture. The session will steer students towards original and rigorous close analysis of the text and provide a list of topics for further study.

In this insight4me English Literature online event for schools and colleges, University of East Anglia and Goldsmiths, University of London will each have roughly 30 minutes to deliver a punchy, topic based ‘micro’ talk. Within an overall session theme of Dystopian Literature, the universities have the freedom to choose their own focus and use the time to convey the key points of the case studies for the students.

insight4me is a series of subject specific webinars for Year 12 & 13 students, and equivalent. The sessions directly support students’ current studies by giving an insight into particular curriculum areas whilst affording an understanding of how these subjects continue beyond A-levels, T-levels, IB, BTEC and equivalent qualifications, and how they vary between universities.

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent) studying, or with a possible interest in studying, English Literature and related disciplines. Student groups, and individual students and teachers are very welcome to join us.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the 2 topics and discuss some of the key elements in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying English Literature at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Bluejeans (similar to Zoom) and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

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