Writing Contemporary Queer Fiction

Many people will be familiar with the works of trailblazing LGBTQ+ writers like Oscar Wilde, Walt Whitman and James Baldwin.

But are you also swooning over Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall, venturing into fantasy lands with T. J. Klune, and sleeping with the lights on after reading Alison Rumfitt or Julia Armfield?

Arguably, queer writing has never been so successful or popular; major publishers are taking on more LGBTQ+ authors, and new indies like Cipher have built a reputation for publishing bold, experimental queer fiction and non-fiction.

At the same time, however, LGBTQ+ books are facing increasingly punitive censorship. A 2024 Index on Censorship study found that 53% of school librarians had been asked to remove books from their shelves, while councils in Kent and Staffordshire have recently banned Pride Month displays of LGBTQ+ books in libraries. While many forget that Pride is rooted in urgent political protest, the silencing caused by censorship is something that cannot be ignored.

On this course, we will explore the contemporary queer literary landscape, reading extracts from books published and translated into English. We will read across genres and forms where queer authors are excelling, including poetry, autofiction, experimental fiction, horror, historical fiction, and short stories.

Alongside reading and discussing a wide range of contemporary queer writers, including those working in Wales, we will experiment with techniques drawn from their work to help us shape our own narratives and develop our own voices.

In an age of increasing censorship of queer voices, this course offers a safe space to write.

Learning and teaching

The module will be delivered through ten 2-hour sessions, made up of workshops, class discussions, and small group work.

Topics may include:

• Contemporary queer literature in context: key developments in queer writing and publishing over the last decade
• Queerness, identity and form: how queer writing challenges literary convention and expands possibilities of voice, narrative and genre
• Reading across genres: contemporary queer poetry, autofiction, horror, experimental fiction, historical fiction, short stories, romance fiction, speculative fiction, and more.
• Queer writing in Wales: engaging with writers working in Wales and the place of Welsh queer literary cultures within a wider contemporary scene
• Space to share and develop queer writing.

Coursework and assessment

To award credits we need to have evidence of the knowledge and skills you have gained or improved. Some of this has to be in a form that can be shown to external examiners so that we can be absolutely sure that standards are met across all courses and subjects.

The most important element of assessment is that it should enhance your learning. Our methods are designed to increase your confidence and we try very hard to devise ways of assessing you that are enjoyable and suitable for adults with busy lives.

You will complete a creative writing portfolio and will write reflectively about your own process. The portfolio will be around 1500-2000 words in length.

Reading suggestions

You will be provided with comprehensive reading suggestions at the beginning of the course. No pre-reading is required.

Library and computing facilities

As a student on this course you are entitled to join and use the University’s library and computing facilities. Find out more about using these facilities.

Accessibility

Our aim is access for all. We aim to provide a confidential advice and support service for any student with a long term medical condition, disability or specific learning difficulty. We are able to offer one-to-one advice about disability, pre-enrolment visits, liaison with tutors and co-ordinating lecturers, material in alternative formats, arrangements for accessible courses, assessment arrangements, loan equipment and dyslexia screening.