During this course, students will read a contemporary novel and create a short reel about it for social media. First, students will get a guided tour of the Moretus Plantin University Library (BUMP UNamur), then they will partially read their novel in class, with the option of asking questions, and exchanging findings and ideas. They will then explore various reels on social media about books, to gain insights into good practices. They will further develop their reading comprehension skills, and they will sharpen their communication skills.
Students will create a one-minute “short reel” or “bite-sized clip”, suitable for social media, bearing in mind these aspects:
* Be creative: use music, artwork, other videos, films, series, … that relate to and help you evoke the book for your audience.
* Ensure your video is informed, provide some background about the author, the context, and the content and form of the book.
* Share your vantage point on the book: what did you think about it?
* Include some challenging / shocking / debate-sparking questions to get your audience thinking.
See "Learning outcomes".
Introduction
Visit to Pop-up BUMP
3-minute introduction to author, book, and context
Reading weeks
Creative reflection weeks
Presentation of short reels
Americanah — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, edition 2024, Harper Collins.
Autumn — Ali Smith, edition 2017, Penguin Books.
Bewilderment — Richard Powers, edition 2022, W. W. Norton & Company.
Brown Girl Dreaming — Jacqueline Woodson, edition 2016, Puffin.
Dance Move — Wendy Erskine, edition 2023, Pan Macmillan.
Dear Life — Alice Munro, edition 2013, Random House.
Demon Copperhead — Barbara Kingsolver, edition 2024, Meulenhoff.
Fun Home — Alison Bechdel, edition 2006, Jonathan Cape.
Girl, Woman, Other — Bernardine Evaristo, edition 2020, Penguin Books.
Hamnet — Maggie O’Farrell, edition 2021, Hachette.
James — Percival Everett, edition 2025, Pan Macmillan.
Less — Andrew Sean Greer, edition 2018, Abacus.
Never Let Me Go — Kazuo Ishiguro, edition 2005, Faber & Faber.
Normal People — Sally Rooney, edition 2019, Faber & Faber.
Nutshell — Ian McEwan, edition 2017, Vintage Publishing.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous — Ocean Vuong, edition 2020, Penguin.
Prophet Song — Paul Lynch, edition 2024, Faber & Faber.
Small Island — Andrea Levy, edition 2017, Hachette.
Swing Time — Zadie Smith, edition 2017, Penguin.
Telling Tales — Patience Agbabi, edition 2015, Canongate Books.
The Awakening — Kate Chopin, edition 2018, Penguin.
The Overstory — Richard Powers, edition 2019, W. W. Norton & Company.
The Underground Railroad — Colson Whitehead, edition 2018, Vintage.
The World’s Wife — Carol Ann Duffy, edition 2017, Pan Macmillan.
Universality — Natasha Brown, edition 2025, Faber & Faber.
Utopia Avenue — David Mitchell, edition 2021, Hachette Collections.
White Teeth — Zadie Smith, edition 2001, Penguin Books.
Introduction
Visit to Pop-up BUMP
3-minute introduction to author, book, and context
Reading weeks
Creative reflection weeks
Presentation of short reels
.
Students will be evaluated based on participation and on the quality of their short reel (hors session). Their skills in 1) analysing the chosen contemporary novel / short story collection / poetry collection, 2) condensing the chosen work into a "short reel", 3) adapting their insights for digital audiences, and 4) applying multi-modal skills of communication, will all be taken into account. Furthermore, attention will be paid to creativity, informed content, personal insights, and the quality of the debate-sparking questions.
No use of AI will be accepted for the production of texts or content, neither in formative assessment phases nor in summative assessment phases, unless this is explicitly stated.
Students are expected to take notes during class in an independent manner.
The PowerPoints will be made available on WebCampus, and additional illustrations will be provided, for instance in the form of musical excerpts or video clips, which will illustrate the concepts, texts, and periods discussed.
| Training | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Modern Languages and Literatures: German, Dutch and English | 2 | 2 | No |