Literature
What is a Short Story?
A beginner literature course exploring the history, forms, practitioners and narrative techniques of the short story through presentations, close reading and discussion.
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Upcoming classes
1 class
About this course
The course examines how the short story has developed, how it differs from related forms of short narrative, and how its readership and magazine market have changed. Materials range from myth, folk tale, fairy tale and parable to nineteenth-century, Modernist, speculative-fiction and post-Modern stories. Sessions use examples by writers including Poe, Conan Doyle, Mansfield, O’ Henry, Saki, Dorothy Parker, JG Ballard and Donald Barthelme. Teaching combines tutor presentation with small-group and whole-class discussion, including close study of selected passages.
What you'll learn
- Distinguish the short story from other forms of short narrative.
- Identify narrative devices used in short stories.
- Trace key developments in the genre across different periods and forms.
- Discuss the marketing, distribution and reception of short stories.
Is this course right for you?
This beginner-level course is designed for learners who have not previously studied literature. Participation includes listening to different interpretations and contributing to small-group and whole-class discussion, with an open-minded approach to the texts and their analysis.
Before you go
- Key extracts are provided in advance of the class.
- Learners are asked to read the extracts beforehand.