New Voices in Irish Women's Fiction



Overview

Irish writing continues to enjoy a very high international profile. Recent years have seen the publication of a number of outstanding works of fiction by women writers such as Claire Keegan, Sally Rooney, Maggie O’Farrell, Audrey Magee and Doireann ni Ghriofa – three of which have been successfully adapted for television, the theatre and the cinema. 

As well as discussing and evaluating their concerns, structure, narrative viewpoint(s), characterisation and style, we will share ideas on how these literary texts reflect political, social and cultural reconfigurations and generate revised readings of Irish history, politics, culture, gender and identity. Often, the novels engage fruitfully with the work of major Irish and non-Irish writers that have preceded them. 

 

Programme details

Courses starts: 25 Sep 2023

Week 1: Introduction to the course, plus Claire Keegan Small Things Like These (2021)

Week 2: Claire Keegan Small Things Like These (2021)

Week 3: Sally Rooney Normal People (2018)

Week 4: Sally Rooney Normal People (2018)

Week 5: Maggie O'Farrell Hamnet (2020) 

Week 6: Maggie O'Farrell Hamnet (2020) 

Week 7: Audrey Magee The Colony (2022)

Week 8: Audrey Magee The Colony (2022)

Week 9: Doireann ni Ghriofa A Ghost in the Throat (2020)

Week 10: Doireann ni Ghriofa A Ghost in the Throat (2020)

Certification

Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work at the required standard.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £257.00
Take this course for CATS points £10.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Prof Michael Parker

Michael Parker has taught in Department for Continuing Education since 2016, and, before that, taught in UK, European and US universities. The author/ editor of ten books to date on Irish/ Northern Irish, English and Postcolonial Literature, his next publication explores Seamus Heaney's poetry and translations.

Course aims

The course will examine and evaluate the diverse literary strategies deployed by Irish women novelists, and highlight the changing perspectives from which history, politics, gender and class are now being ‘read’.

Course objectives:

  • To analyse, evaluate and appreciate a range of remarkable texts.
  • To develop an understanding of the political, historical, and cultural contexts from which they have emerged.
  • To consolidate the students' sense of confidence in their own authority as readers of texts.

Teaching methods

The course will be taught by means of seminars, to which everyone will be expected to contribute. Tasks will be assigned weekly to pairs or small groups whose findings will provide a basis for general discussion. This is intended to foster an active, participatory, independent approach to learning, developing the students' critical faculties and confidence, and consolidating and developing written and oral skills. Students will regularly receive preparatory reading material from the tutor, designed to enhance their understanding of the primary texts.   

Time will be allocated by the tutor to give feedback to each individual student on their formative piece and to discuss the topic of their final essay.  

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • convey through their oral and written work a sound understanding of the selected texts, demonstrating their ability to analyse and evaluate their concerns and formal qualities;
  • recognise the significance of the particular cultural, political and historical contexts in which these novels have been produced;
  • understand the value and limitations of some of the theoretical models that have been applied to literary texts. 

Assessment methods

Assessment will take the form of a formative essay in week 4, which will involve a close analysis of a short section from one of the early texts. This will then be followed by an end-of-course essay of c.1500 words, which might involve a focus on an aspect of a single text or a comparison of two texts and how they have explored a common theme. 

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form.

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form (Word) or enrolment form (Pdf).

Level and demands

Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support