These OU seminars will investigate the genre of the short story, and its writing, publication and readership in the 21st century
These seminars will be looking at some key issues relating to short stories today. What defines the contemporary short story? This is a notoriously protean and varied form - so what are the current trends and ideas inspiring new writing?
Who is reading short fiction - and what is the effect of the Internet, with so many short story sites publishing online writing across the globe? And how important is the rise of flash fiction and spoken word events?
Each event will include two speakers who are both practitioners and academics specialising in the short story. The seminars are free and take place on Tuesdays from 17.30 – 19.30 in March and April. All seminars will be at Senate House, University of London, Malet Street, London.
Seminar 1 (March 11th) What is a 21st century short story?
Defining what a short story is and can be, and considering the historical shifts and fashions. Themes, style, language and possibilities for the genre.
Speakers: Ailsa Cox, Edge Hill University; Jonathan Taylor, University of Leicester
Seminar 2 (March 25th) Readership, publication and competitions.
Examining who reads short stories, who publishes them, and whether the web is becoming increasingly important in terms of influencing the form. We will also look at the role of universities in nurturing the short story.
Speakers: Aamer Hussein, University of Southampton; Scott Bradfield, Queen Mary’s University, Twickenham
Seminar 3 (April 15th) Flash fiction and the oral short story.
A comparison of flash fiction and oral stories - considering the revival of live readings and the short story's relationship to anecdote and performance.
Speakers: Peter Blair, University of Chester; Dave Swann, University of Chichester
Organized by the OU’s Contemporary Cultures of Writing Research Group in collaboration with the Institute of English Studies, UL. For more information click here: short story seminars
If you have any queries regarding this seminar series, please contact the series convenor, Sally O'Reilly, Lecturer, Creative Writing (sally.oreilly@open.ac.uk), The English Department, The Open University