Literature
Great Memoirs
An all-levels literature course examining memoirs from Britain, America and Europe through reading, lectures and group discussion.
Choose a date before booking
Upcoming classes
1 class
About this course
The course explores modern memoir through works including Tobias Wolff’s This Boy’s Life, Blake Morrison’s And when did you last see your father? and Lea Ypi’s Free. Participants will consider why memoir has become such an intimate literary form and compare how writers from different backgrounds shape and present their experiences. Teaching combines lectures with guided reading, whole-class discussion and work in smaller groups, with weekly reading and preparation to complete outside class.
What you'll learn
- Extend knowledge of the modern memoir genre
- Recognise and respond to related writers and texts
- Evaluate memoirs and discuss the genre using more developed analytical skills
Is this course right for you?
The course is intended for learners at all levels who enjoy reading and discussing literary texts. Participation includes listening and responding in large and small groups, alongside weekly reading and preparation outside class.
- Requires regular reading and preparation between classes
- Includes discussion with other students in whole-class and smaller groups
- Suitable for learners interested in developing their literary analysis
Before you go
- Students need to buy or borrow This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff, And when did you last see your father? by Blake Morrison, and Free by Lea Ypi in the specified Bloomsbury, Granta/Penguin and Penguin editions.
- Further texts may be confirmed later.