EN5210

[ Introduction and Description | Schedule and Readings | Assessment and Policies | Related Resources ]

Teaching Faculty and Contact Details

Philip Holden
Office: AS5 05-26
Consultation Hours: Mon 11am -1pm or by appointment
Phone: 6874-4950
Email: ellhpj@nus.edu.sg

Ismail Talib
Office:
Phone: 6874-6045
Email: ellibst@nus.edu.sg

Class meeting time 18:00-20:00, Tuesdays, AS5/02-02

General Overview of the Module

Using selected Singapore texts in English from a variety of different genres, this module aims to enable students to explore, and to simultaneously question, the relationship between literature and social and cultural change in Singapore. Topics to be discussed include: the specific cultural context in which texts are produced, the representation and recreation of identity through poetics and narrative, and issues arising in the use of English in a multilingual and multicultural environment. Given Singapore's history, the notion of a "Singapore" text will be used creatively in order to reflect upon the growth of Singaporean identity and culture.

How the Module Works

After an initial introductory week taught by both lecturers, Philip Holden will teach weeks 2-3 on colonial writing in Singapore. Ismail Talib will then discuss a variety of Singapore texts written from the 1960s to 1990s. Philip Holden will conclude the class by looking at two writers whose work might be read as "political" in a broad sense of the word, engaging with contemporary Singaporean concerns.

 

NUS English Language and Literature

Last updated: 26 January, 2004