Anglophone literature is now being produced in countries where English is not the first language (and sometimes not the mother tongue of the writer). This course examines instances of this, in an attempt to apprehend the larger framework within which this work now circulates. We will also look at writers who, although they come from countries where English is often the mother tongue, are best understood outside national frameworks. Ranging through critical theories such as transnationalism, cosmopolitanism, and World Literature, we’ll consider a wide range of genres, for instance, science fiction, reportage, literary fiction, cookery books, speculative fiction and philosophy.
Last update: UAAQUINJ (12.08.2019)
Course completion requirements
There are three requirements for the credit (zápočet): 1. Each week, by noon on Thursday, students must email me 3 questions about the week’s reading. Several will be chosen for discussion in class the following day. If students fail to send questions on more than three occasions, the credit will not be awarded. 2. Two essays of 1000 words to be submitted by 10 Nov and 10 Dec (see titles below). 3. Students must attend at least 10 classes.
For a graded essay (zkouška), students must send a proposal to the instructor (100 words, with bibliography, via email). Please note that this grade must be entered in the system by the end of three exam periods after the completion of the course. Students submitting near this deadline should note that, first, it will take 2 wks to read the essay (and rewrites may be necessary); second, it can be difficult to write the essay well a year or so after completion of the course. The essay should be 4000-4500 words long.
All essays should be submitted electronically to justin.quinn@ff.cuni.cz, in docx or odt formats (not PDF). Plagiarism of no matter what extent will result in automatic failure of the course and disciplinary action at departmental and faculty level.
Essay Titles
Choose a literary work not on this course and argue for its inclusion
Choose a work from the BA reading list (either US or UK literature) and explain why it should not be included on this course.
Choose one of the following texts from The New Yorker and relate it to a work on the course:
Gish Jen, “No More Maybe” Lara Vapnyar, “Waiting for the Miracle” Jhumpa Lahiri, “Teach Yourself Italian” Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, “The Interview”
Last update: UAAQUINJ (12.11.2019)
Syllabus
4 Oct: Introduction 11 Oct: Editors. “World Lite: What Is Global Literature?” N+1 17 (Fall 2013) Rebecca L. Walkowitz, Born Translated: The Contemporary Novel in an Age of World Literature (2015), Introduction
18 Oct: Mohsin Hamid, Exit West (2017) Tim Parks, “The Dull New Global Novel,” “Writing Adrift in the World” from Where I’m Reading From: The Changing World of Books (2015)
25 Oct: Alexander Beecroft, An Ecology of World Literature: From Antiquity to the Present Day (2015), ch. 6, “Global Literature” Jhumpa Lahiri, “A Temporary Matter” from Interpreter of Maladies (1999)
1 Nov: Jamaica Kincaid, Lucy (1990)
8 Nov: Kazuo Ishiguro, “A Family Supper” (1983) Rachel L. Walkowitz, Born Translated: The Contemporary Novel in an Age of World Literature (2015), ch. 4 “This Is Not Your Language”
15 Nov: Jeffrey VanderMeer, Annihilation (2014)
22 Nov: Daljit Nagra, poems from Look We Have Coming to Dover!: Darling & Me!, Booking Khan Singh Kumar, Sajid Naqvi, Yobbos!, Parade's End
29 Nov: China Mièville, Embassytown (2011), up to the end of Part 1 (“Income”)
6 Dec: Nadine Gordimer, The Pickup (2001)
13 Dec: Stephanie Burt, Advice from the Lights (2017), selection Thomas Fink, “A Proliferation of Differences,” rev. of Troubling the Line: Trans and Genderqueer Poetics, ed. T. C. Tolbert and Tim Trace Peterson (2014) Tommy Pico, IRL (2016), selection Eileen Myles, “An American Poem” (1991) Stephanie Burt, “Trans 101,” rev. of C. N. Lester, Trans Like Me: A journey for all of us, by C. N. Lester, and The Gender Games: The problem with men and women, by Juno Dawson. TLS Oct. 17, 2017.
20 Dec: Madhur Jaffrey, An Invitation to Indian Cooking (1973), Introduction Elizabeth Buettner, “‘Going for an Indian’: South Asian Restaurants and the Limits of Multiculturalism in Britain,” from Curried Cultures: Globalization, Food, and South Asia (2012), ed. Krishnendu Ray and Tulasi Srinivas.
10 Jan: William Trevor, Nights at the Alexandra (1987) Yiyun Li “To Speak Is to Blunder but I Venture,” “Reading William Trevor” from Dear Friend, From My Life I Write to You in Your Life (2017)
Last update: UAAQUINJ (19.11.2019)
Entry requirements
This course is for MA students only. However, exceptions can be made if a BA student emails me explaining their reasons for wishing to take the course.
