Digital literatures

In this unit, you will explore 'born-digital' literary texts created specifically for digital platforms, spanning the 1980s to the present day. You will examine the theoretical underpinnings of digital literature in poststructuralist literary theory, as well as performing close readings of examples from major genres (including hypertext fiction, blogs, social-media narrative, remix fiction, locative narratives, and other print-digital hybrids). The unit emphasises the constantly evolving relationship between digital technologies and literary creators' experimentation with them. Additionally, you will also consider issues of longevity and canonicity for digital literatures given the rapid rate of obsolescence in digital platforms.