Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Last Year's Novels
School	Eng, Drama, & Creative Studies
Department	English Literature
Module Code	09 26673
Module Lead
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Exclusions
Description	How do literary scholars begin to study contemporary literature? In the absence of extant scholarly discussion of new literary works how does one begin critical dialogues? In this module students will explore precisely these questions through study of novels written in the previous calendar year. The texts studied will hail from Britain, Ireland, the United States and elsewhere in the English-speaking world. Alongside bestselling literary fiction students will also examine works from smaller independent publishers. Students will be encouraged to think about contemporary stylistic fashions but also about the mechanics of contemporary publishing (including the awards industry) and how this may affect the content and form of literary texts. There will also be sustained engagement with relevant trends in contemporary literary and cultural theory, including reflection upon the challenge of understanding the contemporary moment at all.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Critically analyse a range of literary works published in the previous calendar year. Understand, analyse and demonstrate successful methodologies in writing critically about contemporary literature. Locate literary production within broader contemporary cultural trends, including the politics and economics of the creative industries. Demonstrate close reading skills alongside the ability to engage critically with current theoretical debates.
Assessment	26673-01 : 4,000 Word Essay : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessments: For module running in Semester 1: 1 x 4,000 word essay / For module running in Semester 2: 1 x 3hr exam (seen paper) Reassessment: As above in extenuating circumstances
Other
Reading List