MODERN TO CONTEMPORARY IN THE ARAB WORLD in Fall 2020 (CL1099FB7)

David Tresilian’s CL1099 course on Modern to Contemporary in the Arab World introduces students to the literature and culture of the modern Arab world, using this as a way into understanding this still sometimes poorly understood region. Providing sound foundations in twentieth-century literature from a range of Arab countries, the course brings students right up to date to the aftermath of the Arab Spring Revolutions and contemporary debates about the region's identity and direction. Literature, film, and other materials are studied, providing opportunities for reflection on the societies from which they come and helping students to reinforce their critical thinking through careful analysis and discussion. This First Bridge pairing draws upon the accumulated expertise of its instructors and makes ample use of the Paris and French environment, notably planning visits to sites in Paris, in Marseilles, an important crossing point for European and Arab identities. A longer study trip is planned to the United Arab Emirates, a growing urban centre in the contemporary Arab world