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Literary Genres & Movements

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Season 1

Discover the captivating world of epistolary literature, where stories unfold through letters and documents. Explore its rich history, unique storytelling elements, and how it connects readers to characters' inner thoughts and feelings.

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Discover the captivating world of epistolary literature, where stories unfold through letters and documents. Explore its rich history, unique storytelling elements, and how it connects readers to characters' inner thoughts and feelings.

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Dive into the world of Existentialism, where authors like Dostoevsky, Sartre and Camus challenge readers to find personal meaning amidst life's absurdities, blending deep philosophical questions with relatable human struggles.

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21. Existentialism

Dive into the world of Existentialism, where authors like Dostoevsky, Sartre and Camus challenge readers to find personal meaning amidst life's absurdities, blending deep philosophical questions with relatable human struggles.

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Realism is a genre of writing that explores the real world, in all its gritty glory. Defined by authors like Gustav Flaubert, Edith Wharton and Alice Walker, realist writers often expose societal flaws, offering insights into the real-life struggles and the triumphs of ordinary people.

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Realism is a genre of writing that explores the real world, in all its gritty glory. Defined by authors like Gustav Flaubert, Edith Wharton and Alice Walker, realist writers often expose societal flaws, offering insights into the real-life struggles and the triumphs of ordinary people.

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Victorian Literature

Exploring the diversity of Victorian Literature, we discover how authors like Charles Dickens, the Brontë Sisters and Lewis Carroll captured the ideals and issues of a rapidly industrializing society, weaving tales of innovation, societal norms and adventure in 19th Century England.

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19. Victorian Literature

Exploring the diversity of Victorian Literature, we discover how authors like Charles Dickens, the Brontë Sisters and Lewis Carroll captured the ideals and issues of a rapidly industrializing society, weaving tales of innovation, societal norms and adventure in 19th Century England.

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Postcolonial Literature

Giving voice to the oppressed, discover how authors like Achebe, Rushdie and Adichie postcolonial literature to express the impacts of colonialism, reshaping identity and independence narratives from Africa to Asia.

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18. Postcolonial Literature

Giving voice to the oppressed, discover how authors like Achebe, Rushdie and Adichie postcolonial literature to express the impacts of colonialism, reshaping identity and independence narratives from Africa to Asia.

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Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism is a spiritual, philosophical and literary movement that emerged in the United States in the 19th century. With its emphasis on individualism and the inherent goodness of all people, discover how it impacted civil rights movements via works by Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau and others.

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17. Transcendentalism

Transcendentalism is a spiritual, philosophical and literary movement that emerged in the United States in the 19th century. With its emphasis on individualism and the inherent goodness of all people, discover how it impacted civil rights movements via works by Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau and others.

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The Lost Generation

The devastation and disillusionment that resonated through society in the aftermath of World War I had a profound impact on the literary landscape, notably a group of U.S. writers living in Europe, including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. These writers are known as the Lost Generation.

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16. The Lost Generation

The devastation and disillusionment that resonated through society in the aftermath of World War I had a profound impact on the literary landscape, notably a group of U.S. writers living in Europe, including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. These writers are known as the Lost Generation.

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Novel in verse is a hybrid genre - a style of literature that uses narrative poetry to tell a novel-length story, often through being read out loud. In this film we take a look at narrative poems through history, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the first Novel in Verse writings of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Modern writers, such as Kwame Alexander in The Crossover and Jason Reynolds in the Long Way Down use this form to explore contemporary themes of racism and identity.

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15. Novel in Verse

Novel in verse is a hybrid genre - a style of literature that uses narrative poetry to tell a novel-length story, often through being read out loud. In this film we take a look at narrative poems through history, from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the first Novel in Verse writings of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Modern writers, such as Kwame Alexander in The Crossover and Jason Reynolds in the Long Way Down use this form to explore contemporary themes of racism and identity.

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Action packed adventure stories can take us on journeys full of danger, excitement and triumph. Sometimes fictional, and sometimes based on true events, we take a look at the adventure stories which entertain and thrill us. From the first adventure novels of the 19th century including Moby Dick and Treasure Island, to popular fiction of the 20th century.

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Action packed adventure stories can take us on journeys full of danger, excitement and triumph. Sometimes fictional, and sometimes based on true events, we take a look at the adventure stories which entertain and thrill us. From the first adventure novels of the 19th century including Moby Dick and Treasure Island, to popular fiction of the 20th century.

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Satire is a form of writing that uses humor to mock those thought to be guilty of foolishness, arrogance, greed or corruption. This video takes a look at the use of satire in literature over the centuries.

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Satire is a form of writing that uses humor to mock those thought to be guilty of foolishness, arrogance, greed or corruption. This video takes a look at the use of satire in literature over the centuries.

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Allegory is a form of literary fiction that uses symbolism to comment on actual events, people or elements of the human condition, often working on two levels: the surface story and the deeper meaning. We take a look at some of the great allegorical works in literature, from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progess, to George Orwell's political allegory, Animal Farm.

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Allegory is a form of literary fiction that uses symbolism to comment on actual events, people or elements of the human condition, often working on two levels: the surface story and the deeper meaning. We take a look at some of the great allegorical works in literature, from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progess, to George Orwell's political allegory, Animal Farm.

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Beginning in the eighteenth century in response to social upheaval, industrialisation and revolution, ideas of Romanticism influenced poets such as Coleridge, Blake and Wordsworth. Later novelists, from Emily Bronte to Nathaniel Hawthorn used elements of the Romantic genre to write some of the greatest works in literature.

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11. Romanticism

Beginning in the eighteenth century in response to social upheaval, industrialisation and revolution, ideas of Romanticism influenced poets such as Coleridge, Blake and Wordsworth. Later novelists, from Emily Bronte to Nathaniel Hawthorn used elements of the Romantic genre to write some of the greatest works in literature.

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Myths and Legends

Myths and legends are ancient stories that have survived for centuries in all parts of the world. Let’s explore some examples from around the world to learn about their enduring appeal.

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10. Myths and Legends

Myths and legends are ancient stories that have survived for centuries in all parts of the world. Let’s explore some examples from around the world to learn about their enduring appeal.

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Folktales and Folklore

Folklore and folk tales are stories that have been passed down through the generations in cultures all around the world. Let’s explore different examples and consider why these types of stories have endured for so long.

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9. Folktales and Folklore

Folklore and folk tales are stories that have been passed down through the generations in cultures all around the world. Let’s explore different examples and consider why these types of stories have endured for so long.

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Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that whisks readers off other worlds, filled with magic and adventure. From The Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter, let’s explore some classics of the fantasy canon.

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Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that whisks readers off other worlds, filled with magic and adventure. From The Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter, let’s explore some classics of the fantasy canon.

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Coming of age stories chart a character’s journey from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood. This genre is also known by the German word, 'Bildungsroman'. We take a look at some classics of the genre, from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

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7. Coming of Age

Coming of age stories chart a character’s journey from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood. This genre is also known by the German word, 'Bildungsroman'. We take a look at some classics of the genre, from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.

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Mystery is a genre of fiction that focuses on solving a crime through a gripping plot. Let’s examine the conventions that mysteries share and explore some of the finest examples through the ages.

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Mystery is a genre of fiction that focuses on solving a crime through a gripping plot. Let’s examine the conventions that mysteries share and explore some of the finest examples through the ages.

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Magical Realism

Starting as an art form in the 1920s, magical realism is a genre of literature that uses the real world as a setting, but adds a sprinkle of magic or fantasy. Made famous by South American writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his book 'One Hundred Year's of Solitude', this new form of expression soon developed new conventions, with writers around the world, such as Yann Martel and Toni Morrison.

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5. Magical Realism

Starting as an art form in the 1920s, magical realism is a genre of literature that uses the real world as a setting, but adds a sprinkle of magic or fantasy. Made famous by South American writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez in his book 'One Hundred Year's of Solitude', this new form of expression soon developed new conventions, with writers around the world, such as Yann Martel and Toni Morrison.

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Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional story is set in a chosen period of time in history. Often involving real people, these stories reimagine historical events. We take a look at classics from Homer's The Iliad, to Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

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4. Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional story is set in a chosen period of time in history. Often involving real people, these stories reimagine historical events. We take a look at classics from Homer's The Iliad, to Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.

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Children's Literature

Children’s literature is fiction created specifically to be read and enjoyed by young people. From nursery rhymes and fairy tales, stories that can teach us about good and evil, to books that whisk us off to fantastical worlds beyond our wildest dreams, we take a look at the history of children's books from Aesop's Fables to modern classics, such as Harry Potter and Wonder.

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3. Children's Literature

Children’s literature is fiction created specifically to be read and enjoyed by young people. From nursery rhymes and fairy tales, stories that can teach us about good and evil, to books that whisk us off to fantastical worlds beyond our wildest dreams, we take a look at the history of children's books from Aesop's Fables to modern classics, such as Harry Potter and Wonder.

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With its roots in stories from folklore, legends and religious traditions, gothic horror has entertained, and terrified, readers for centuries. From Bram Stoker's Dracula, to Shirley Jackson's unsettling tales, we look at some examples of the form through the ages.

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2. Gothic Horror

With its roots in stories from folklore, legends and religious traditions, gothic horror has entertained, and terrified, readers for centuries. From Bram Stoker's Dracula, to Shirley Jackson's unsettling tales, we look at some examples of the form through the ages.

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Autobiography and Memoir

Autobiographies and memoirs are similar – but each is a distinct nonfiction literary genre. Here we discover what they share in common and why true stories about people’s lives remain popular for readers across the globe.

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1. Autobiography and Memoir

Autobiographies and memoirs are similar – but each is a distinct nonfiction literary genre. Here we discover what they share in common and why true stories about people’s lives remain popular for readers across the globe.

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