This biannual course is taught on years 2015-2016, 2017-2018, ....
Have passed the bachelor courses in Dutch literature and have a good proficiency in Dutch (advanced level, B2 + of the Common European reference framework).
This course approaches Dutch-speaking literature in a comparative way: connection with other arts or media and reflection on the effects and the performativity of literature, its episteme and modalities of knowledge, focusing on the specificity of such issues for the Dutch area. The chosen themes vary and are discussed in light of the topics that are debated in current research.
By the end of the course, students
- will have deepened their knowledge of Modern Dutch and Comparative literature;
- will have acquired the foundations of interartistic, intermedial and interdisciplinary approaches in the humanities and culture and will be able to report and discuss issues of literary epistemology and philosophy of literature;
- will be able to analyze the relationship and interaction between literary works and other media and will be able to build an interdisciplinary approach in order to understand the complexity of the text being studied;
- will demonstrate a better comprehension of cultural issues in the field of contemporary or comparative literature, particularly Dutch-speaking literature.
The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.
Continuous assessment (50%):
- Active participation in the discussions and comments on texts; for the personal task, bibliographical research, compulsory analytical readings of scientific articles and critical discussions; extensive text analysis; personal and scientific comments are expected from the participants.
Certificative assessment (50%):
- personal research paper (on the basis of group or individual presentation) (30%)'
- Oral exam during the session, based on a discussion and defence of the personal research paper (20%). Links between the material covered in class and personal research work are expected.
Students will be evaluated on their command of the Dutch written language, their personal expression and knowledge of secondary research in the field.
A dynamic and varied learning approach is used and, when possible, interactive lectures.
The course (introductory lectures) alternates with in-depth readings and text comments that require active class participation. All the texts and the assigned material are prepared and read before class by all the students.
Students prepare individually or in small groups (depending on the number of participants) the analysis of a chosen text or literary work (topics need to be approved by the instructor). They present the results of their analysis in interaction with other students. After discussion, they submit a written report to the teacher in the form of a scientific article.
The course focuses on the phenomenon of the "City poets", that has shown a marked development since the 2000s in Dutch-speaking literature. It introduces the history of the writer's relationship to the city and its authorities (comparison with the troubadours, the trouvères, court poetry and medieval poetry, XVth and XVIth centuries; rederijkers, gemeenschapskunst, etc.) and examines the poetic works of several Dutch and Flemish City poets (Tom Lanoye, Bart Moeyaert, Joke van Leeuwen, Ramsey Nasr, Peter Holvoet-Hanssen, Bernard Dewulf, Erwin Mortier, Peter Verhelst, het meertalige stadsdichterscollectief Brussel, Robert Anker, Mustafa Stitou, Menno Wigman, Anna Enquist, Esther Naomi Perquin, Hester Knibbe, Ingmar Heytze et Ronald Ohlsen).
As for the Flemish part, we will deal with Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels, while the Dutch part will focus on Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and Groningen.
Reflection on contemporary literature will consist in investigating how the literary text is embodied in the public area of the city and will highlight in this way the text's significance outside itself. How does the insertion of the poem in the urban area and the political field alter its support and status? How does it affect the reading of such city literature? Correspondingly, how does the literary text give an image of the city, by configuring the real through fiction?
The course will also expose students to important poetic works of Dutch-speaking literature today via the chosen topics.
A thematic bibliography serves as reference tool during the course.
Course materials: anthology of 'City poems', websites, bibliography, scientific articles and critical readings (reader), hand-outs, Powerpoint-slides, multimedia documents, Moodle.
