Launching on Thursday 13th February 2020, the Romance Reading Group will be running bi-monthly, postgraduate-led sessions on Thursdays 4:00-6:00 in Arts 439. These sessions will all focus on the undervalued yet meaningful popular genre: romance.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between romance and romantic fiction? Or questioned whether a romance novel can be feminist? Or speculated as to whether this genre is sexist, heterosexist or racist? Or pondered about the sexualisation of male predators? All these important considerations will be discussed, and potentially answered, in our free, helpful and fun reading group sessions. Our aim is to debate, analyse and discuss the history of romance and its’ impact on society’s culture today. We are meeting every two months, will provide snacks and, of course, stimulate your mind with thought-provoking, intriguing discussions all relevant to the brilliant genre of romance. So, no matter what stage you are in your academic careers (undergraduates, postgraduates, post-docs and staff) and regardless of your college or school, come along to one of our sessions and debate, analyse and learn about romance fiction, critics and theorists. Texts will range nineteenth-century fiction to contemporary literature and the theories we will discuss include feminism, queer and postcolonial.
An overview of our first session is:
The first session, 19th Century Romance, will take place on Thursday 13th February, 4-6pm, in Arts 439 and it is a Valentine’s Day special! Due to the session’s proximity to the day dedicated to love, we will be delving into extracts of two classics: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813) and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights (1847). We will be questioning whether these important works would be described as romance or romantic fiction, while examining definitions formed by key romance critics Janice Radway and Pam Regis as well as the romance writers association: Romance Writers of America. Additionally, we will be comparing 19th century Valentine’s Day to modern day Valentine’s Day, evaluating what has changed for better or for worse in both romance novels and romantic relationships as a whole over the past 200 years.
- Website: https://romancereadingroup.wixsite.com/readingromancegroup
- Twitter: @Romance_UOB
- Email: romancereadinggroup@gmail.com.