Comparative Literatures and Cultures University of Bristol

Overview

The Comparative Literatures and Cultures programme from University of Bristol  challenges narrow ideas of capital-L Literature or of ‘the canon' and knocks down false boundaries between ‘high' and ‘low' culture by exploring the diversity of literary and cultural production across the globe – from Italy to Russia, Morocco to China, Brazil to Senegal – and across the centuries. Through both core and optional units, our comparatists examine the long and fascinating history of interactions between literary works and other forms (portraiture, book illustration, film), media (video, digital literature) and disciplines (visual arts, philosophy, history, social sciences).

Key facts

This degree considers the many ways in which Literatures and Cultures move through time and space, such as through individual forms of contact (reader reception, influence, and intertextuality), sociopolitics (trade, migration, colonization) and technologies that have shaped literary and visual culture.

All texts are studied in English through the tool of the curious comparatist: translation. You will benefit from the Translation Studies expertise in the School of Modern Languages as you discover the varieties and varied roles of translations in the movement, adaptation, and appropriation of texts.

The degree fosters qualities valued by all kinds of employers: intercultural understanding and sensitivity, analytical and critical thinking, clarity, self-confidence and daring in communication, an aptitude for collaborative work, and creativity. It will instil habits of curiosity, openness, rigour, self-reflection, and evidence-based thinking, which will prepare you for a flexible career across a wide range of sectors.