Jamaica Kincaid’s Gardens: a decolonial encyclopaedic project

About this course

This course explores Jamaica Kincaid’s decolonial writing about gardens and the plant world, beginning with An Encyclopedia of Gardening and extending to My Garden (Book) and other non-fiction. Participants consider how gardening intersects with colonialism, capitalism, globalisation, migration and ecological change, while situating nature writing within Kincaid’s wider fiction, memoir and non-fiction. Teaching combines short presentations with discussion in smaller groups and as a whole class. The course also considers critical responses to Kincaid’s work and her collaborations with contemporary artists and illustrators.

What you'll learn

• Examine Kincaid’s decolonial approach to nature writing and garden history
• Discuss critical responses to Kincaid’s work
• Relate gardens and nature to Kincaid’s fiction, memoir and non-fiction
• Explore Kincaid’s collaborations with contemporary artists and illustrators

Is this course right for you?

The course is open to learners at all levels. It involves reading selected extracts, short presentations and discussion in both small and larger groups. An interest in creative non-fiction and nature writing may be useful.

• Open to learners at all levels
• Includes small-group and whole-class discussion
• Selected extracts are discussed during the course

Before you go

• Selected extracts will be provided before or during the course.
• Buying or borrowing My Garden (Book), the Picador edition, is recommended but not stated as essential.
• No additional work outside class is specified.