Beyond 'fat cats' and the 'rat race'; from office politics to climate catastrophe; family fights to cosmic conflicts, this course examines the implications of late capitalism in the Scottish literary imagination. It asks how fiction writers have imagined the individual's relationship with the broader political and social structures of their times, and it sets out to scrutinise how ideology governs our understanding of history and our place in it.

1 x 2 hour seminar per week over 10 weeks as scheduled in MyCampus.

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The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Set exercise (1,500 words) - 30% 

■ Critical Essay (2,500 words) - 70% 

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

■ There are no alternatives to the assessments, but flexible 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.  

This course aims to:

■ Examine the development of Scottish fiction in the late 20th and early 21st centuries in the context of the

development of late capitalism over the same period.

■ Understand elements of the role of ideology and political economy in the conception and reception of literature.

■ Interpret recent fiction in relation to pressing political issues of the day.

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

■ Discuss the history of contemporary Scottish Literature in relation to the history of late capitalism.

■ Situate literary works in historical, political, and ideological contexts that reinforce their relevance in the present.

■ Assess the relationship between the literary imagination in Scotland and the conditions of life under capitalism since the Second World War.