Students will discover the field of life writing, exploring major works by Gunnthórunn Gudmundsdóttir (2003), Hermione Lee (2005), Zachary Leader (2015), Anna Poletti (2020), and Lisa Zunshine (2022). The course will also offer insights into narrative medicine, drawing on the work of Rita Charon (2006; 2017), and into creative writing, inspired by Tara Mokhtari (2026).
Students will develop theoretical insights as well as explore the practical side of life writing. Each week, they will be given a writing prompt, and they will engage in writing exercises on journalling, on the topics of memory and imagination, and on reflections regarding various texts and works of art.
Students will learn to recognise key features of autobiography, memoir, diaries, letters, graphic memoirs, and digital life narratives. They will analyse the complex boundaries between truth, memory, imagination, and fabrication in non-fiction texts. They’ll also trace the historical evolution of life writing, understanding how life writing traditions have changed across different cultural and historical contexts.
The students will attend the conference, "Journée des études sur la marche", organised by Valérie Leyh, Guillaume Etienne, and Emma-Louise Silva, on the 25th March. As part of their "portfolio", they will write a conference report (see "evaluation").
See "Learning outcomes".
Life Writing
Gunnthórunn Gudmundsdóttir (2003)
Hermione Lee (2005)
Zachary Leader (2015)
Anna Poletti (2020)
Lisa Zunshine (2022)
Narrative medicine
Rita Charon (2006)
Rita Charon et al. (2017)
Creative writing
Tara Mokhtari (2026)
"La journée des études sur la marche"
Conference organised by Valérie Leyh, Guillaume Etienne, and Emma-Lousie Silva, which the students will attend on 25 March 2027.
Life Writing
Gunnthórunn Gudmundsdóttir (2003)
Hermione Lee (2005)
Zachary Leader (2015)
Anna Poletti (2020)
Lisa Zunshine (2022)
Narrative medicine
Rita Charon (2006)
Rita Charon et al. (2017)
Creative writing
Tara Mokhtari (2026)
"La journée des études sur la marche"
Colloque organisé par Valérie Leyh, Guillaume Etienne, et Emma-Lousie Silva, auquel les étudiant.e.s assisteront le 25 mars.
See "Learning outcomes". The exercises aim to help students understand the selected reading material and to help them develop their analytical and expressive abilities. The exercise will adopt several formats, but will always require the active participation of students.
The classes will take various forms, mixing both formal teaching, seminar discussions, and writing workshops. It is necessary for students to read and prepare the required texts ahead of class.
Over the course of twelve weeks, the students will work on various pieces of writing (journalling, a memory imaginatively turned into a story, reflections on texts and works of art, creative writing) in English for their portfolios. They will also prepare a conference report on the "Journée des études sur la marche" on the 25th March. For their final addition to the portfolio, they will choose one of the studied formats linked to life writing, narrative medicine, or creative writing, and produce a theoretical reflection along with a case study. More details on the portfolio (outside of the exam session) will be given during class.
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.
The expected level of written proficiency in the target language is C1 according to the CEFR (https://rm.coe.int/16802fc3a8), applied to an academic register.
An "Anthology" will be made available at "Réprographie".
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 | 3 | 7 | Yes |