English Lit PG Reading Group - 'Globalgothic'

In honour of Halloween we're reading about 'Globalgothic' this week, vividly introduced in a short essay by Fred Botting and Justin D. Edwards: 'Theorising Globalgothic' (2013).

Taster quote: "The rush of new commodities, consumption, products and money is tied to an increasingly illusive economic system that has been, at times, aligned with the sorcery of witches, zombies and disembodied, dispirited phantasms. Hence seemingly archaic figures for postmodern times – witches, zombies, monsters, ghosts and vampires – spring up in numerous and diverse locations, crossing geographic, cultural and medial divides... they are markers of otherness, articulations of the threatening changes of economic and imperial power, signifiers of techno- scientific innovations, as well as representations of personal and communal losses and traumas." (Botting and Edwards, 'Theorising Globalgothic', p.11-12) About the Postgraduate Doctoral Seminar: The doctoral seminar is an informal weekly reading group run within the Department of English Literature. We select a short text to read in advance, often a work of theory, then meet to discuss it. The seminar provides an opportunity to consider aspects of the reading that were thought-provoking or challenging for you, think about how it relates to texts you may have studied or plan to read, and share aspects of your own research and academic practice. It’s also a chance to get together, try out ideas, and meet fellow postgraduate researchers. There will be tea, coffee and biscuits and you are very welcome! For readings or further information, please email Dorothy Butchard (d.butchard@bham.ac.uk)