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Literature and Theatre

COL at National Library of Scotland: Muriel Spark

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

This course will celebrate the centenary of the birth of Muriel Spark, and will coincide with a major exhibition about Spark at the National Library of Scotland. Students can expect to explore Spark’s literary legacy in terms of her novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and her archive through a guided visit to the exhibition. The day will include: introductory lecture on Spark, Edinburgh and her contribution to Scottish fiction; discussion of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; guided visit to the exhibition with the Spark archivist.

Please note, this course takes place at the National Library of Scotland.

Course Details

Pre-requisites for enrolment

None.

Content of Course

1. Introductory lecture on Spark, Edinburgh and her contribution to Scottish fiction.

2. Discussion of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

3. Guided visit to the exhibition with the Spark archivist.

Teaching method(s)

Face to face at National Library of Scotland.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course students should be able to:

  • Evaluate material housed within the Muriel Spark archive;

  • Demonstrate awareness of Spark’s role in Scottish literary history;

  • Apply skills of close reading to passages from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

  • Spark, Muriel. 2000. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Recommended:

  • Spark, M., 1993. Curriculum vitae : autobiography. Harmondsworth: Penguin.

  • Gardiner, Michael and Maley, Willy. eds., 2010. The Edinburgh Companion to Muriel Spark. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

  • Hynes, Joseph. 1988. The Art of the Real: Muriel Spark's novels. London: Associated University Presses

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.