Modules

Crossing the Water: Transatlantic Literary Relations (EAS2104)

30 credits

This module examines the fertile relationship between the literary cultures of Britain (and some of its one-time colonies), Ireland and the United States from early settlement through into the present day with a particular focus on the late nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

The module covers a range of authors, texts and genres (including poetry, fiction and travel writing) and highlights the work of a number of South West writers for whom transatlantic encounters have proved to be particularly productive. Where appropriate, it examines American writers’ perceptions of and engagement with other European cultures beyond Britain’s shores.

The module reads such literary and cultural encounters in the context of the rich and interdisciplinary field of Transatlantic Studies. There are no pre- or co-requisites for this module. It will be of particular relevance to those with an interest in modern writing in English, in American culture, and in literatures of globalisation.