| Unit name | Black British Literature |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ENGL20041 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Matthews |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of English |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit explores the writing of black Britons from 1948 to the present day. Considering novels, poetry, plays, song lyrics and essays, we examine how writers have addressed a range of topics including: the experience of immigration; race riots; the politics of Blackness; identity and ancestry; multiculturalism; the post-racial; and the legacy of Empire. We will explore how black writing has challenged conceptions of Britishness and British literature by considering the following questions: What is ‘Black British Writing’? Is this a useful or valid way to categorise the work of black writers? How has writing by black Britons been received by the literary establishment? How have black writers represented the experience of migration? What aesthetic and linguistic strategies have black writers used to resist racist stereotypes?
On successful completion of this unit students will have (1) developed a detailed knowledge of black British literature; (2) developed a critical understanding of the political, social and cultural contexts of this body of writing; (3) acquired an understanding of major critical approaches; (4) demonstrated their ability to analyse and compare black British writing from different historical periods and across genres; (5) strengthened their skills in academic writing, argumentation, and evaluation of evidence from primary texts and critical literature.
1 x 2-hour seminar per week
One short essay of 2000 words (33.3%) and one long essay of 4000 words (66.7%). Both summative elements assess (1) knowledge and understanding of the range of writing produced by black Britons since the decolonisation of the British Empire and (2) understanding of the social, political and cultural contexts of black writing from the last 60 years. The long essay also involves (3) comparative analysis. Both essays also test (4, 5 and 6) students’ ability to analyse and assess competing accounts of the primary texts; their ability to adduce pertinent textual material in support of their argument, and their ability to present that argument lucidly and in accordance with academic conventions.
Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners (London: Penguin, 2006) Linton Kwesi Johnson, Selected Poems (London: Penguin, 2006) Caryl Phillips, Higher Ground (London: Vintage, 2006) Andrea Levy, Small Island (London: Headline, 2004) Dave Gunning, Race and Anti-racism in Black British and British Asian Literature (Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2010) James Proctor, Dwelling places: Post-war Black British Writing (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2003)
