insight4me English Literature – Dystopian Literature With Dr Birgit Breidenbach From University of East Anglia & Dr Beth Palmer From University of Surrey

Register here

• 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. 

• University of Surrey: Dr Beth Palmer, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, will present Dystopian Dickens. This session takes us to the nineteenth-century to think about the anxieties that crystallised into dystopias for the Victorians. The impacts of industrialisation and urbanisation were widely felt during this period and some writers saw humanity, imagination, and creativity draining away in the factories, mines and slums. After thinking through these contexts we will focus in on Dickens’s novel Hard Times (1854) and explore a close reading of its fictional city of Coketown as a dystopia.
   

In this insight4me English Literature online event for schools and colleges, University of East Anglia and University of Surrey will each have roughly 30 minutes to deliver a punchy, interactive 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 Key Stage 5 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. There is no charge to take part.

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: Key Stage 5 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 at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on 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 typed comments and questions or via a microphone if preferred. 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:

Register here