This is the first session of a 10-week programme, every Wednesday evening until 5 April.
This course explores literary representations of the Potteries from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. We will look at fiction, poetry and some journalistic pieces to see how Stoke has been presented, attacked or defended by authors over the period. We will discuss the work of Stoke-born writers such as Arnold Bennett, John Wain and Arthur Berry, along with literary ‘tourists’ – from Dickens to Joanna Trollope, examining the exchanges between these two groups. Lastly, we will consider the development of Stoke’s literary heritage by contemporary writers and its contribution to public perception of the city today.
The course will be of interest to local culture vultures, as well as avid readers and writers who wish to explore the region’s literary traditions in greater depth. Teachers of English may also like to learn more about Stoke’s literary history in order to inform and inspire their pupils.
Course leader, Catherine Burgass, is a regional literature specialist with twenty years’ experience as a university lecturer (Leicester, Liverpool and Staffordshire) and international publications. She has given numerous academic papers and public talks on local literary figures such as Arnold Bennett and Arthur Berry at festivals, museums and galleries. Catherine is keen to spread the word that Stoke’s literary heritage includes diverse other writers and to gain fresh perspectives on that writing with a new group of readers!
For more information and booking deatils click here.
