These sessions offer an exciting opportunity for all students passionate about English literature! Dive into the rich world of literary study as we explore English literature as an academic discipline—discovering what it encompasses, how it shapes our understanding of culture and society, and why it remains relevant today.
We offer a range of masterclasses with varied content and interactive elements. All are primarily designed to show students what the study of literature at the university level entails: we cover ‘traditional’ texts but also those that students may not expect, including creative non-fiction, speeches, and film. These classes will also give students the opportunity to share their ideas, through group activities and writing.
Coventry University is excited to offer English Literature Masterclasses tailored for secondary school students eager to deepen their appreciation of literature! These masterclasses provide a dynamic introduction to the world of literary analysis, exploring classic and contemporary texts across various genres and themes. Led by our expert academic staff, students will engage in stimulating discussions that challenge their interpretations and enhance their critical thinking skills. Through interactive activities and collaborative analyses, participants will uncover the rich layers of meaning in literature and discover how it reflects and shapes our society. Whether you’re a passionate reader or looking to explore the subject for the first time, join us at Coventry University for an inspiring literary journey that will ignite your imagination and transform your understanding of the written word!
Available sessions:
Questioning the Human and Ecology in H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds
This workshop will explore how H.G. Wells’s novel The War of the Worlds can stimulate our thinking on current issues such as climate change and how, as a society, we think about non-human life.
Literature on the Edge: Exploring Extreme Travel Writing
Students will read two brief excerpts from Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air to generate discussion and debate about why people travel to dangerous places, how this author writes about his own harrowing experience, and whether such tourism should be encouraged.
Clueless About Film Studies? Movies and Critical Thinking.
Students will be introduced to some basic film terminology, with discussion of its connection to literary analysis. After watching two scenes from the 1995 film Clueless, students will practice their own close ‘readings’ of film.
Black Feminism, Poetry, and Politics
In this session we think about the changing understanding of feminism over the course of the 20th and 21st century, before moving on to thinking about the emergence of Black feminism in America in the 1970s. By looking at an extract from an essay and then a poem, we consider how and why Black feminists assert the importance of emotions and experience in their work.
We are also able to develop and deliver sessions related to school/college curricula. Please enquire for more information.