Welcome to the British Literature department page. You can find out more information about our team and our approaches to research and teaching here. In addition, there is information about our requirements for written work, as well as the topic areas for your final thesis.
Our Team
Find out more about the British Literature department
The British Literature department investigates British and Irish literature, as well as the literatures of Canada, Australia, and the Global South. Beyond engaging with the theoretical and scholarly aspects of literature, we have a particular focus on training future teachers. Works of canonical and non-canonical literature, spanning from the early modern period to the present day, are taught in the course of teacher training, BA, and MA programmes. Focus is placed on examining literary texts in their socio-historical contexts and in terms of the history of ideas. We also consider these texts in terms of their global connections. While this emphasis is already present in the BA programme, it is particularly evident in the Master of Global British Studies programme. Here, the seminars on literature are closely tied to cultural studies courses.
Students can actively engage with various academic streams of thought in lectures, seminars, and practical courses, all of which are oriented around contemporary research. We devote special attention to discussion of current and contemporary literary theories and methods. Our research interests include media theory, gender studies, adaptation theory, culture of remembrance, identity constructions, postcolonial and transcultural studies, reception theory, as well as science and literature. The literature department is also closely connected with the city of Leipzig’s literary scene. In particular, this active involvement with literature is expressed in frequent readings and literary events at the university and beyond.