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The Art of Short Fiction (Q3052)

15 credits, Level 5

Autumn teaching

How has ‘short fiction’ developed historically, and how it is now manifested and defined? We will analyse a wide range of forms that may include fable, folk tale, the graphic novel, sudden fiction, and the short story. Though the module concentrates on the analysis and production of works of short fiction, it also introduces you to a nuanced and surprising understanding of fiction and theory. 

The module also contains a creative writing component. You will be encouraged to respond to texts each week by writing your own fictions and reflecting on them in a logbook. Up to half of the module will be given over to creative writing workshops run by the tutor, with materials and writing exercises provided by the tutor alongside discussions of writing practice. An anthology of students' creative writing is published each year as an outcome of this module.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 22 hours of contact time and about 128 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2024/25. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.