Women with a View: writers of the mid-century

About this course

The course examines short stories from the 1940s and 1950s by Elizabeth Bowen, Elizabeth Jane Howard, Penelope Mortimer, Elizabeth Taylor, Sylvia Townsend Warner and Daphne du Maurier. Discussion considers how the stories reflect changing social and individual perspectives on gender, wartime and the post-war era. Sessions combine short lectures, presentation material, and large- and small-group discussion. Close reading focuses on the short-story form, narrative structure, character development and the social and cultural context surrounding each text.

What you'll learn

• Recognise the social and cultural contexts of selected mid-20th-century short stories
• Analyse how the short-story form creates meaning through close reading
• Examine narrative structure and character development in short fiction

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for learners interested in British mid-20th-century short fiction and does not require previous literary study. Participation includes discussing texts in larger and smaller groups, listening to other views, and reading assigned stories before each session.

• No previous literary study is required
• Requires reading assigned stories before sessions
• Includes large- and small-group discussion

Before you go

• Buy or borrow A Different Sound: Stories by Mid-Century Women Writers, edited by Lucy Scholes, published by Pushkin Press in 2023 and 2024.
• Read the stories assigned by the tutor before each class session.
• Additional materials will be supplied by the tutor.