Life Writing and Life Histories (V1501)
15 credits, Level 6
Spring teaching
Whose lives and whose histories do we write about and tell as historians? How do you turn a life story into a biography? What makes a biography interesting? How do you find out about somebody’s life in the past? Why is biography writing a useful skill?
The life experiences of individuals, be they politicians, revolutionaries, artists, enslaved people, thinkers, nurses, homemakers, soldiers or humanitarians can provide an accessible, personalised window into the past. They also enable the narrator to explain and exemplify complex historical dynamics by moving between close personal experiences and emotions and the larger political context.
On this module, you’ll:
- explore the methods of historical biography writing
- read and critique samples
- carry out archival research at the Keep and other relevant archives.
You’ll participate in writing and composition sessions to produce a historical biography in a written or multi-media output.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.
We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
Courses
This module is offered on the following courses: