Event description
Woman on the Edge of Time (1976) by Marge Piercy. Hosted by Gul Dag
Saturday 18 August 2018
Gul has drawn on her combined expertise as a teacher of various American literature modules and a PhD researcher focusing on representations of body modification in 1980s cyberpunk to select Marge Piercy’s Woman on the Edge of Time (1976) for inclusion on this series. Though less well-known than later female authors, Piercy’s novel is considered an innovative feminist work for its time and a utopian speculative-fiction classic. A marked contrast to the more modern texts this season, Woman on the Edge of Time critiques many of the institutions of the 1970s and advocates its theme of social transformation. This is a great opportunity to read and discuss a real sci-fi gem.
All welcome – Booking is required.
Jackie McAndrew, Email: opencampus@hull.ac.uk
Telephone: 01482 466585
Background
If you like reading and enjoy discussing books with other people, then this is the group for you. Sessions take place on campus within the fabulous Brynmor Jones Library where there is a Café and the fantastic University of Hull Art Collection.
The sessions are facilitated by either an English or Creative Writing PhD student, a post-doctoral researcher, a member of staff or a guest host from our regular OpenCampus attendees. You don’t need to have been before but it does help if you have a love of literature and you like the idea of meeting with a friendly group of similarly minded people. Oh yes - it does help to have read the book too!
It’s also a great opportunity to give our PhD students (or 'emerging thinkers' as we like to see them) the opportunity develop their public engagement, facilitation and teaching skills! It really is a winning initiative all ways round.
Broad Aims of the Group
The broad aims of this reading group are to:
- Provide an open platform for the discussion of literature.
- Encourage an interest in a range of genres.
- Provide the opportunity to open up the dialogue with members of the public encouraging interesting, topical, and informative discussion.
- Provide our 'emerging thinkers' the chance to develop their public engagement, facilitation and teaching skills!
All the books should be available to buy cheaply on-line for a minimal amount if you can’t find your old school copy!
Anyone can come along, no prior experience is necessary, just an enthusiasm for the subject.
How will it work?- All attendees should read the novel in advance of the session.
- Each session would be led by one of our PhD/Postgraduate Research students/guest speakers.
- There will be a brief introduction to the text (15 - 30 minutes) which would be accompanied by a PowerPoint/hand-out as appropriate.
- We will have a selection of questions ready to get the ball rolling as it were, and will be highlighting key themes/sections of the text of particular interest.
- You may get the opportunity to discuss revisions and adaptations of the selected narratives to try and pinpoint the reasons behind the longevity of these texts.
Telephone: 01482 466585
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