Historical Fiction

Module code: EN1080

During this module you will explore novels written in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that are set in periods from the Renaissance to Victorian times. Historical fiction allows writers to imaginatively transform the past, finding room for unrecorded voices and experiences. You will study how novelists are inspired by historical sources, comparing short examples from those sources to the novels themselves. You’ll consider how novelists address questions of representation relating to gender and race, and you’ll assess how their works are written and marketed for different readerships. The novels you will read range from children’s books to romances and literary prize winners, but all are works which aim to combine education with entertainment.