First-year course of LM 37 (9 credits). It consists of 54 hours. First semester: 3 hours per week; lectures with some seminar activities. Second semester: 2 hours per week; workshops. The course is taught in English and introduces aspects and issues of British literature and culture, as well as other literatures in English, from the 1980s to the present day.
The aim of the course is to sharpen the students’ ability to analyse texts in the literatures of Britain and other English-speaking countries by reading them in the light of specific social and political contexts and in relation to broader cultural phenomena. Students will be encouraged to use relevant theoretical and philosophical concepts as critical tools to develop a more sophisticated comprehension of the texts. They will also acquire competencies in academic and/or creative writing on the topics addressed.
The course aims to provide an understanding and appreciation of the development of contemporary British literature and culture from 1980 to the present day, with a particular focus on the new millennium, as well as certain aspects of other literatures in English from the same period. It also aims to introduce students to the investigation of the most recent forms of the novel through some essential concepts of contemporary theoretical and philosophical thought. Finally, the specific aim of the second part of the course is to reflect critically on the themes of Transhumanism, Artificial Intelligence and, more generally, the posthuman as it is represented in fiction.
The expected outcomes are the acquisition of the ability to:
analyse literary texts using theoretical and critical tools;
evaluate different arguments and question preconceived ideas;
work in groups and learn through seminar discussions;
communicate ideas and arguments effectively in written and oral form;
identify and use relevant bibliographic resources;
produce an academic and/or creative text.
A general knowledge of British literary history, its periodization and main lines of development. An advanced knowledge of the English language (C1).
The course is taught in English. The first semester consists mainly of lectures with some seminars for the discussion of the assigned readings. The second semester consists of workshops with presentations, discussions and group work.
From the Postmodern to the Posthuman: Clones, Robots and Androids in Contemporary Culture and Fiction
First semester
Students will familiarise themselves with the political, economic and social contexts of contemporary Great Britain from the 1980s to Brexit and with the literature and culture of the same period through a selection of political speeches and film excerpts, as well as novels such as Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie, The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro, White Teeth by Zadie Smith and the Seasonal Quartet by Ali Smith. Particular attention will be paid to the themes of Englishness and multiculturalism and to postmodern narrative techniques, the latter also explored through examples from other English-language literature, more specifically the novels of South African-Australian writer J.M. Coetzee and Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. Moreover, students will read Ian McEwan's Atonement and Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go in their entirety. The latter, which tells the story of a group of clones, will be a segue into the second part of the course on the posthuman.
Second semester
Literature and popular culture have often reflected on the future scenarios that technological innovations seem to herald. The popularity of TV series such as Black Mirror (2011-2013) testifies to the widespread interest in the arts' ability to imagine what it means to interact morally and more and more intimately with posthuman entities. Ishiguro's novels Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun, analysed in this course, raise fascinating questions about cloning and transhumanism, exploring changing conceptions of the “human” in the age of cognitive capitalism, artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. This part of the course will use the lens of fiction and screenwriting to explore what it means to be “human” in the age of cognitive capitalism, Artificial Intelligence and neuroscience, in which the digital and biological worlds are merging. It will investigate issues such as the increasingly blurred boundaries between humans and machines, ethics in the age of AI, robot consciousness and the relationship between human and non-human or quasi-human entities.
For the whole course:
First semester:
Second semester:
Additional information will be posted on aulaweb including details for the students unable to attend on a regular basis. Those who take the course for only 6 credits will be required to demonstrate knowledge of the topics and texts covered in the first semester.
The content and bibliography are valid till July 2027.
Ricevimento: By appointment only. My office is in Santa Sabina, 2, Floor 5.
LAURA COLOMBINO (President)
STEFANIA MICHELUCCI
DOMENICO LOVASCIO (President Substitute)
LUISA VILLA (Substitute)
Wednesday, 1 October 2025.
Schedule:
Tuesday, 11:00-13:00, POLO: Room D Wednesday, 10:00-11:00, POLO: Room D
The timetable for this course is available here: EasyAcademy
Students will be assessed via a final exam consisting of a set of open-ended questions covering the entire programme. However, those who attend regularly and participate actively will be able to:
- take intermediate written tests on the content of the first semester;
- be assessed on a continuous basis according to the quality of their participation in the planned activities (e.g., presentations, textual analysis, classroom discussion, academic papers or creative writing, etc.).
In order to keep pace with the required curriculum and ongoing assessments, it is recommended that students begin reading Atonement prior to the commencement of the course.
Written exam. Students will demonstrate that they have acquired:
- a thorough knowledge of the texts included in the programme;
- a good mastery of theoretical issues and approaches;
- an adequate ability to analyse and contextualise literary texts;
- the ability to express themselves effectively in written English.
Second semester's workshop activities.
Assessment will be based on weekly activities (short text analyses, classroom discussions, presentation of papers or creative texts in the form of a small conference organised by the students themselves). Students will need to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the texts and the ability to:
- reflect on the topics proposed and analyse literary and non-literary texts using theoretical and critical tools;
- evaluate different arguments and question preconceived ideas;
- produce creative thinking.
- work in groups and learn through seminar discussions;
- communicate ideas and arguments effectively in written form;
- identify and use relevant bibliographic resources.
Course enrolment via aulaweb is mandatory. Examination enrolment is through the Ateneo website.
Students who have valid certification of physical or learning disabilities on file with the University and who wish to discuss possible accommodations or other circumstances regarding lectures, coursework and exams, should speak both with the instructor and with Prof. Sara Dickinson (sara.dickinson@unige.it), the Department’s disability liaison.
