Course Catalogue

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This course offers core interpretive skills for the study of the lifecycle of texts across time and space. Students will learn to develop readings of book-objects that take into account their lifecycle in a holistic perspective. The course includes a book-in-hand component, with planned visits to rare books collections in Glasgow. A mix of traditional and non-traditional readings and forms of assessment will support the development of graduate attributes and the exploration of research ideas.

20 x 1 hour seminar sessions, including planned visits to Special Collections which may take place outside of usual class time as scheduled in MyCampus. This course is based on one of the Honours options in Comparative Literature and may not run every year. The options that are running this session are available on MyCampus.

Mandatory Entry Requirements:

Standard entry to Masters at College level.

Recommended Entry Requirements:

Candidates for the course should have a good Honours degree (2.1 or better) and be able to demonstrate competence in English equivalent to European Common Framework C1/14)

Comparative Book History (Level 4)

none

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Presentation (5-10 minutes) - 25%

■ Essay (4000 words) - 75%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ Recorded presentation (audio or video)

■ There is no alternative to the essay but extensions to the deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (students should follow the usual process for extensions).

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor. 

■ Develop students' ability to think holistically about texts as physical objects which exist within their own ecosystem

■ Investigate different forms of materiality in the comparative study of global cultural productions

■ Familiarise students with a variety of material textual forms and forms of agency

■ Embed object-led enquiry and analysis into students' research practice

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Critique information related to the materiality of texts and their own ecosystem(s)

■ Appraise different texts based on their distinctive materialities

■ Contextualise and articulate their understanding of literary outputs within the context of materiality and agency

■ Develop research questions which include object-led forms of analysis, expanding their existing close-reading skills to material features related to the lifecycle of texts