Comparative Literature with Film Studies

Comparative Literature is the study of the similarities and differences between literature written in different places and at different times. In Comparative Literature we don't divide literature up according to where it was written or what language it was written in, as you would if you were studying English or French. Instead we divide literature in other ways, such as by its theme or its genre or the period in which it was written.

The study of Comparative Literature at King's embraces eleven languages and five continents, and spans over 2,500 years. Unlike many similar programmes, Comparative Literature at King's does not just mean comparative modern literature. Alongside acknowledged strengths in 20th-century and contemporary literature, the programme reaches back to the roots of the western and near-eastern literary traditions in classical antiquity and the Bible. Other strengths include medieval literature in English, French, German, Greek, Spanish and Portuguese, and the literatures of North America, Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking Latin America, and French- and Portuguese-speaking Africa. Options on other art forms, such as film, music, and the visual arts complement and add to the study of literature.

In each year of this programme, two modules are devoted to Film Studies. The aim of Film Studies is to provide students with the conceptual tools for a critical understanding of how society is mediated by cinematic and electronic images, and to give a background for pursuing careers in the media arts and related activities.

Selected students in year three have the opportunity to study in the United States for one semester at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.