Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - WL 101W D100

Writing in World Literature (3)

Class Number: 6175

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 6, 2026: Mon, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores literary texts from diverse linguistic and cultural origins while introducing students to the fundamentals of comparative literary analysis and critical writing. May examine cross-cultural interactions, or compare texts thematically. Writing/Breadth-Humanities.

COURSE DETAILS:


Course title: WL 101-Writing in World Literature (3)

Course subtitle: Women’s Writing and Historical Experiences


Course description

This course reflects on the dyadic relationship between fiction and history. We will explore how history is appropriated and at the same time subverted in artistic productions. In this way, we will unveil how fiction serves the purpose of interrogating unreliable historical accounts that conceal more than they inform. To speak of unreliable historical accounts is to raise the question of historical absences, omissions, gaps and silences that weaken our historical awareness. We will also pay special attention to the narrative and rhetorical strategies, such as polyphony, intertextuality, nonlinearity, irony, humor and sarcasm deployed by various writers in their creative engagement with history. Finally, we will seek to unravel the singularity of women’s experiences in the rendering of collective history. The purpose here is to examine how history affects and is contested by women as well as how current events influence their interpretations of it. 

Grading

  • Attendance and Participation 10%
  • Essay 1 + Revision (20%+20%) 40%
  • Essay 2 + Revision (20%+20%) 40%
  • Group Oral Presentation 10%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Required reading
Eliana Alves Cruz, Solitaria, Astra House, 2025 (Brazil)
Merle Collins, The Colour of Forgetting, Virago Press, 1995. (Grenada)
Marie-Célie Agnant, The Book of Emma, Insomniac Press, 2006. (Haiti)
Malika Mokeddem, The Forbidden Woman, University of Nebraska Press, 1998. (Algeria)

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.