The Text and Context programme offers a comprehensive, interdisciplinary exploration of British and Irish literature within the social and cultural transformations of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Over the course of more than a century of literary innovation, students examine the richness and diversity of English, Irish, and Scottish texts, studied alongside recent developments in literary theory.

Each day begins with a one-hour lecture delivered by an esteemed guest scholar, providing in-depth analysis of the critical, theoretical, and historical contexts surrounding the literature. These lectures are followed by two-hour seminars, where students engage in lively group discussions to deepen their understanding and interpretation of the texts.

Course modules:

Modernism | 13th – 25th July 2026

The Modernism module explores the works of influential writers such as T.S. Eliot, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, and Jean Rhys, to name a few. It is designed for students at all levels who wish to engage deeply with Modernist aesthetics and gain a richer understanding of this pivotal historical and cultural period.

In addition to lectures, the module includes enriching visits to cultural landmarks (e.g. Scottish Parliament, the National Gallery of Modern Art, and Arthur’s Seat).

Students are strongly encouraged to read as many of the set texts as possible before arriving in Edinburgh, as the programme schedule leaves limited time for catch-up reading. Lectures are delivered at an advanced level, with the expectation that all participants are already familiar with the texts being discussed.

Core texts for the Summer School, on which the tuition will be based, are listed below.

Essential reading (in alphabetical order):

T.S. Eliot, The Waste Land
Ford Madox Ford, The Good Soldier
James Joyce, Dubliners
Mina Loy, selected poetry
Katherine Mansfield, Selected Stories
Una Marson, Pocomania
Jean Rhys, Good Morning, Midnight
Selection of imagist poetry*
Virginia Woolf, Mrs Dalloway

Further primary reading/viewing:**

Hope Mirrlees, ‘Paris’ (available in Collected Poems)
Man of Aran, dir. Robert J. Flaherty
Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God
Jean Rhys, Complete Short Stories
Virginia Woolf, To the Lighthouse

Suggested secondary reading:

Alex Davis and Lee M. Jenkins (Eds., The Cambridge Companion to modernist poetry
Vassiliki Kolocotroni, Jane Goldman and Olga Taxidou (Eds.), Modernism: An Anthology of Sources and Documents
Vassiliki Kolocotroni and Olga Taxidou (Eds.), The Edinburgh Dictionary of Modernism
Michael Levenson (Ed.), Cambridge Companion to Modernism
Max Saunders, Ford Madox Ford (Critical Lives)
Morag Shiach (Ed.), The Cambridge companion to the modernist novel
Maren Tova Linett (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to modernist women writers

*NB: Students are not required to purchase specific volumes of poetry – selected poems for the lecture and seminar will be distributed to all students in advance.

**Students are not required to purchase or read texts listed in ‘further reading/viewing’. However, if you are interested in complementary material, these texts will expand your knowledge and discussion of the essential reading list. All of the further reading is available to loan from the University of Edinburgh library or the SUISS library.

For more information on the course, see our Sample Modernism Syllabus .

 

Contemporary Literature | 27th July – 8th August 2026

The Contemporary Literature course explores British and Irish writing from 1990 to the present, featuring works by acclaimed authors such as Bhanu Kapil, David Greig, and Ali Smith, along with innovative forms like the graphic novel.

Beyond the classroom, the programme includes lively cultural activities such as a traditional Ceilidh dance and author readings by some of the UK’s leading contemporary writers.

Students are strongly encouraged to read as many of the set texts as possible before arriving in Edinburgh, as the intensive schedule allows little time for catch-up. Lectures are pitched at an advanced level, with the expectation that participants will already be familiar with the material under discussion.

Core texts for the Summer School, on which the tuition will be based, are listed below.

Essential reading (in alphabetical order):

Rachelle Atalla, Thirsty Animals
Anna Burns, Milkman
Harry Josephine Giles, Drone
David Greig, Europe
Bhanu Kapil, How to Wash a Heart
Martin McDonagh, The Cripple of Inishmaan
Alan Moore, V for Vendetta
Ali Smith: selection of short stories*
Douglas Stuart, Shuggie Bain

Further primary reading:**

Sara Baume, A Line Made By Walking
Maggie Gee, The Flood
Harry Josephine Giles, Deep Wheel Orcadia
Eimer McBride, A Girl is a Half-formed Thing
Alan Moore, Fashion Beast
Caryl Phillips, The Nature of Blood
Stephen Sexton, If All The World and Love Were Young
Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body

Suggested secondary reading:

Roddy Lumsden (Ed.), Identity Parade: Contemporary British and Irish Poetry
Siobhan B. Somerville (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Queer Studies
Steven Connor (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Postmodernism
Neil Lazarus (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Postcolonial Literary Studies
Nancy A. Naples (Ed.), Companion to Women’s and Gender Studies

*NB: Students are not required to purchase specific volumes of poetry – selected poems for the lecture and seminar will be distributed to all students in advance.
** Students are not required to purchase or read texts listed in ‘further reading/viewing’. However, if you are interested in complementary material, these texts will expand your knowledge and discussion of the essential reading list. All of the further reading is available to loan from the University of Edinburgh library or the SUISS library.

For more information on the course, see our Sample Contemporary Literature Syllabus .

 

Scottish Literature | 10th – 22nd August 2026

The Scottish Literature module traces the evolution of Scottish writing from the early twentieth century to the present day, beginning with Scottish Modernism and progressing through Postmodernism and contemporary works. The reading list features poetry by Hugh MacDiarmid, Jackie Kay, and Edwin Morgan; plays by John McGrath and Gregory Burke; and fiction by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Muriel Spark, and Alasdair Gray. For an accessible introduction to the field, Alan Riach’s What Is Scottish Literature is highly recommended, while current debates and developments can be explored through the University of Glasgow’s publication Bottle Imp.

This vibrant course coincides with Edinburgh’s world-renowned festival season and includes a performance at the Edinburgh International Festival, along with a variety of other cultural experiences.

Students are strongly encouraged to read as many of the set texts as possible prior to arrival, as the programme’s intensive schedule leaves little time for catch-up. Lectures are delivered at an advanced level, with the expectation that participants are familiar with the material.

Core texts for the Summer School, on which the tuition will be based, are listed below.

Essential reading (in alphabetical order):

Leila Aboulela, Elsewhere Home
Gregory Burke, Black Watch
Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Sunset Song and Hugh MacDiarmid a poetry selection of the Scottish Renaissance *
Alasdair Gray, Poor Things
David Greig, The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart
A.L. Kennedy and Janice Galloway, selected short stories*
John McGrath, The Cheviot, The Stag, and the Black, Black Oil
Edwin Morgan and Jackie Kay, poetry selection*
James Robertson, The Testament of Gideon Mack
Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Further primary reading/viewing:**

Iain Banks, The Wasp Factory
Alasdair Gray, Lanark
James Hogg, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner
James Kelman, How Late It Was, How Late
Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting

 

Secondary reading:

Ian Brown and Alan Riach, Edinburgh companion to twentieth-century Scottish literature
Gerard Carruthers and Liam McIlvanney (Eds.), The Cambridge Companion to Scottish Literature
Alan Riach, Scottish Literature: An Introduction

 

*NB: Students are not required to purchase volumes of poetry – specific reading selections for these lectures and seminars will be circulated to all students in advance. We will also circulate short stories, but if you would like to purchase a collection, we recommend A.L. Kennedy’s What Becomes and Janice Galloway’s Collected Stories.
**Students are not required to purchase or read texts listed in ‘further reading/viewing’. However, if you are interested in complementary material, these texts will expand your knowledge and discussion of the essential reading list. All of the further reading is available to loan from the University of Edinburgh library or the SUISS library.

For more information on the course, see our Sample Scottish Literature Syllabus .