.

On the Fictions of Terror module, students will engage with the way literature and culture has responded to one of the most inflammatory and divisive global phenomena: terrorism. We will work through a diverse range of texts and contexts beginning with Joseph Conrad’s account of a London bomb plot in The Secret Agent (1907) – which includes the first literary ‘suicide bomber’ and concluding more than 100 years later with contemporary texts such as Hany Abu-Assad’s cinematic exploration of suicide violence, Paradise Now (2005) and Amy Waldman’s 9/11 novel The Submission (2013). Despite this diversity, the texts on the syllabus invite us to make connections between the ways they have dealt with terror within different contexts. The module will include novels, poetry, films and a television series as primary texts giving you the chance to compare form and style across different media. Additionally you will engage with key theoretical writing and criticism on terrorism, trauma and contemporary geopolitics. Each week you will learn about a new text and context. However, the overarching trajectory of the module will broadly trace a narrative of globalization and we will discuss and debate the way terrorism has characterised an increasingly global society.

LO1: Critically examine a range of literary and cultural texts within their historical, social, political and literary contexts;
LO2: Compare the ways instances of terrorism around the world have been represented in literature, film and television;
LO3: Critically reflect on scholarly debates about the literature / culture of terror;
LO4: Locate and examine common themes and ideas across a diverse range of media, forms and styles;
LO5: Engage with theoretical writing and criticism around terrorism and the cultural representation of terrorism.