Unit information: Theory and Practice of Literary Editing in 2013/14

Unit name	Theory and Practice of Literary Editing
Unit code	ENGL39013
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Emeritus Professor. Karlin
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None.
Co-requisites	None.
School/department	Department of English
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

The editing of literary works has been one of the most lively and contentious areas of study in recent years. It involves both theoretical and practical approaches to literature (e.g. the ‘idea of the text’ on the one hand, the material conditions of publishing on the other) and is of primary, though often unrealized, importance in students’ own experience, since answers to some of the questions raised by the unit determine the kinds of text they read. The advent of online texts has made some of the issues surrounding editorial method even more pressing. The unit traces the origins, and analyzes the procedures, of modern scholarly editing of literary works, using both analytic and practice-based methods of study.

Aims:

• To teach students about the theory and practice of the editing of literary works.

• To develop students' research skills.

• To develop students' skills in oral and written communication.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Knowledge of the theory and practice of the editing of literary works

• Ability to analyse complex methodological issues and reflect critically on issues ranging from the interpretation of historical phenomena to the effect of new technology on literary scholarship.

• Ability to conduct appropriate research in textual, electronic, and online resources.

• Ability to articulate ideas clearly and correctly.

Teaching Information

One x 2 hour seminar per week, plus one-to-one discussion in consultation hours where desired.

Assessment Information

Two summative essays: one of up to 2000 words (one third of weighting 33.3%) and one of up to 4000 words (two thirds of weighting 66.7%).

Reading and References

In addition to the reading for the unit, students will be required to collaborate in producing a scholarly edition of a poem. This task will involve making editorial decisions about which text to use, what kinds of information to supply to readers, and how to present this information on the page. This task does not form part of the assessment but is an essential part of the learning experience. Research materials (e.g. copies of relevant manuscripts) will be provided by the course tutor.

Selected reading list:

Fredson Bowers, Textual and Literary Criticism (1966)

Philip Gaskell, From Writer to Reader: Studies in Editorial Method (1978)

D. F. MacKenzie, Bibliography and the Sociology of Texts (1985)

Jerome McGann, A Critique of Modern Textual Criticism (1993)

D. C. Greetham, Textual Scholarship: An Introduction (1994)

Peter Shillingsburg, From Gutenberg to Google: Electronic Representations of Literary Texts (2006)