British Literature Now
Amy Hungerford, Professor of English
Yale University

An exploration of contemporary fiction, the literary scene in London, and how new fiction enters the culture of the city, the nation, and the world. Focuses on prominent examples of contemporary fiction through the lens of the Man Booker Prize; readings center on novels from the 2012 Man Booker long list supplemented by study of past winners and the history of the prize. An examination of contextual history and traditional literary analysis reveals the role of contemporary fiction in multicultural Britain and within the artistic life of the city. Student projects, which can be collaborative, may include tracking the literary press, exploring less-known writers, visiting and interviewing booksellers, attending readings, or speaking with London literati. Visits to bookshops, readings, and the theater (as relevant to the course) offer an experience of London's book culture.

William Hogarth: A Tale of Two Cities, London and Paris
Robin Simon, Honorary Research Professor and Visiting Professor of English, University College London, and editor of The British Art Journal

An examination of how London and Paris shaped Hogarth's art. In the decades following the accession of George I in 1714, cross-channel artistic interaction flourished to a hitherto unknown degree. Artists, writers, singers, dancers, actors, and musicians traveled between London and Paris, as finances allowed and opportunities for employment arose. Hogarth's artistic development is explored through walks in areas of London associated with him and close study of original works in galleries and in the buildings for which many of them were created. Additionally, a field trip to Paris retraces Hogarth's footsteps through the artists' quarter on the Left Bank; complementary activities consist of study sessions in the Louvre, the Musée Carnavalet, the Musée Cognacq-Jay, the Musée Jacquemart-André, and an examination of the Mays (annual presentation paintings) on view in the aisles of the cathedral of Notre Dame, including one painted by the French artist who taught Hogarth.