English Literature Lecture

We were delighted to recently welcome Dr Madeline Clements, Senior Lecturer in English Studies at Teesside University, to talk to our English Literature students about protest literature.

Dr Clements delivered a powerful and interesting lecture about women’s writing in South Asia, specifically Pakistan. She shared how her research has informed her understanding of protest literature, then offered students the opportunity to explore a digital archive of women’s writing called ‘Editing Women Archive’.

Students were able to examine works by women in art, literary, cultural and lifestyle magazines, which document feminist thought, creative expression and social commentary. Much of this writing is at risk of being lost and isn’t recorded in formal archives, so the research Dr Clements is involved in aims to redress this balance and preserve these voices for future generations. Students were also able to explore paper copies of magazines which run alongside the digital archive.

The talk was particularly relevant to literature students because they are moving on to study the novel ‘The Kite Runner’, through the lens of social and political protest writing. This novel is set in Afghanistan, neighbour to Pakistan, and in fact some of the story line takes place in Pakistan. Through Dr Clements’ talk, students were able to gather context for the novel itself, as well as expand their understanding of the protest genre using a range of non fiction texts that are outside our range of experience.

We are hoping to welcome Dr Clements back when students are in Year 13 so that she can have further discussions with them as their journey through protest literature continues. Dr Clements commented on how interesting she had found her discussions with our students, who were engaged and attentive.

We are very grateful to Dr Clements and to Teesside University for this valuable opportunity to learn about this valuable research and be able to access the digital archive.