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WELCOME TO A-LEVEL LITERATURE – YOU HAVE CHOSEN AN AMAZING A- LEVEL! Why choose English A-Level? English Literature is considered a facilitating subject by universities because it teaches you critical thinking skills as well as giving you the opportunity to be creative. It trains you how to write analytically and in an evaluative manner. It links brilliantly with many other subjects such as history, drama, classics and art. It is also really enjoyable as it gives you the chance to read a diverse array of literature including prose, poetry and drama from a range of eras and in a plethora of genres. How is A-Level different to GCSE? Studying Literature at A-Level requires you to look much more deeply at texts. You will not just be exploring texts in terms of how characters or themes are presented, but also considering them in more complex ways: from critical points of view; through different kinds of contexts and how these inform your understanding of texts; in terms of their genre and how authors present their ideas. Likewise, whilst the focus at GCSE may have been on language, A-Level enables you to examine more complex authorial methods including structural features, elements of genre and dramatic techniques. A-Level will also require you to work more independently. The more you read around your texts and research the texts you study, the more confident you will become as a literature student. However, most excitingly, you will have the opportunity to study a range of engaging, diverse and exciting texts and even choose one of your own to write about for coursework! What will I be studying? AQA SPECIFICATION B: MODULE ONE: TRAGEDY: 2 hour 30 min exam: 40%

You will study one of the following Shakespeare plays:

‘Othello’ OR

‘King Lear’

You will study two of the following:

‘The Great Gatsby’ by F Scott Fitzgerald ‘Tess of the ‘D’Urbervilles’ by Thomas Hardy ‘Death of a Salesman’ by Arthur Miller ‘Richard II’ by William Shakespeare An anthology of poetry

A selection of poems by Keats

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MODULE TWO: POLITICAL AND SOCIAL PROTEST WRITING: 3 hour exam: 40 %

You will study one of the following:

‘Songs of Innocence and Experience’ by William Blake

A selection of poems by Tony Harrison

You will study two of the following:

‘Harvest’ by Jim Crace

‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Margaret Atwood

‘Henry IV Part I’ by William Shakespeare

‘A Doll’s House’ by Henrik Ibsen

‘Hard Times’ by Charles Dickens

‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini MODULE THREE: TWO PIECES OF COURSEWORK EACH 1500 WORDS: 20%

1. Study of a selection of poetry e.g. Derek Walcott or Philip Larkin 2. Study of a novel of your choice

You will write about the poems and novel from a critical point of view e.g. feminist or Marxist

This booklet is intended to give you a taste of what studying literature at A-Level will be like, as well as help you to prepare for your studies in September and hopefully get you enthused about some of the exciting topics you will be covering. Try to work through as many of the tasks as you can. (You will need to be logged onto your Queens’ School account to access many of the weblinks).

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“Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an

open sewer and die.” Mel Brooks

“We can easily forgive a child who is

afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of

life is when men are afraid of the light”

Plato

“Show me a hero and I’ll write you a tragedy” F. Scott Fitzgerald

TASK ONE:

Make a list of the key differences between tragedy and comedy

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DEFINING TRAGEDY:

The first great literary criticism was written by Aristotle (384 BC-322 BC) in his ‘Poetics’. He defined tragedy as ‘the imitation of an action that is serious, complete and of a certain magnitude.’ He stated that it should excite the emotions of ‘pity and fear’ in the audience and be about a character who is ‘renowned and of superior attainments’, who suffers a ‘reversal of fortunes’. The tragic hero is neither completely good nor evil, but someone with whom the audience can identify. His disastrous end results from a mistaken action, which in turn arises from a tragic flaw such as hubris or error of judgement. Often the tragic hero’s suffering is greater than his error, which creates pity from the audience because the audience recognise we could make the same mistake. He believed the most important aspect of tragedy was the plot followed by character and that the purpose of a tragedy was to enlighten the audience or deliver a didactic message and leave them with a sense of catharsis so they felt purged of emotion and cleansed, having achieved a greater understanding of the ways of gods and men.

Now watch the following video that explains a little more about Aristotle’s theories on tragedy:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1edvw0KY3bq3xMpVeVsti_557Ta9noEwA

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KEY TERMS:

KEY TERM DEFINITION ANAGNORISIS Before his death, the protagonist will have a moment of recognition where he realises that he has done wrong and gain in self-knowledge and in understanding of the world around him particularly in relation to the gods and morality. However, this occurs too late to save him, which often exacerbates the tragic nature of his death. The moment of recognition may result in a movement from ignorance to knowledge or produce love or hate. ANTAGONIST OR The thing or individual that brings about the downfall of the VILLAIN tragic protagonist. Sometimes this can be the tragic hero themselves CATHARSIS The effect on the audience is a purging of emotion drawing out feelings of pity and fear that bring a new sense of clarity. CHORUS The individual/s who comment on the action and often directs the audience’s response to events FATAL ERROR OR The tragic mistake made by the tragic protagonist that often HAMARTIA leads to their downfall FORESHADOWING Where the author hints towards something happening in the future giving the audience an insight that the characters may not have HUBRIS Excessive pride, which is often seen as the reason for this error of judgement (hamartia) MEGALOPSYCHIA Greatness of soul MYOPIA Blindness to the truth PATHOS A feeling of pity or sadness for the characters involved in the tragedy PERIPETEIA The tragedy should focus on the tragic protagonist’s downfall from high status to loss creating a reversal of fortunes (peripeteia) PROTAGONIST OR The central character or hero on whose downfall the play focuses TRAGIC HERO TRAGIC FLAW A deep-seated weakness in an individual’s character such as pride or ambition that often leads to their hamartia TRAGIC There is frequently a sense that the tragic events are inevitable INEVITABILITY and that once the protagonist has set in motion a course of events, they cannot be changed. There are also often hints or examples of foreshadowing that forewarn the audience, often through choral figures, of the events to come. As a result, they appear to be FATED and thus that the tragic heroes demise is beyond his control.

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Now watch the following video that explains a little more about how tragedies work: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kJutNReEVu3VKzvZeSj9f9JRfEXSshU5/view?usp=sharing

TASK TWO: Now write your own definition of what makes a tragedy using at least four of the key terms from the above table.

THE ORIGINS OF TRAGEDY

The tragic form originated in Ancient Greece. The main tragedies were performed once a year at the festival of Dionysus, (the God of wine, fertility and festivity). They were performed as part of a competition over a three day period. Three different playwrights would perform three separate tragedies, followed by a Satyr (a kind of comedy) all in one day then on the next day the second and on the third the last. There was then a democratic vote as to which tragic playwright was the best. Many of these plays have since been lost, but some still survive and have continued to form the basis of our understanding of tragedy and influence modern tragedies. The most notable tragic playwrights were Euripides, Aescyhlus and Sophocles.

However, these tragedies were very different to the ones you might see today: they were performed by three actors and one chorus made up of between 12 to 15 individuals; they wore elaborate costumes and masks; they often included divine intervention from the gods; the main characters were often kings, heroes or even divine beings; violent events such as murders occurred off stage and were then reported; stage props and effects were limited.

Later playwrights, such as Shakespeare, were incredibly influenced by these classical tragedies and Shakespeare would have studied Latin and ancient Greek as part of his schooling. In fact, many of his plays draw on ancient myths and history such as ‘Antony and Cleopatra’, ‘Titus Andronicus’ and ‘Coriolanus’. However, Shakespeare did not completely conform to these ancient tragic models: he used many more characters on stage; his characters are often psychologically more complex; the events he portrays frequently occur over a long period of time; he did not generally use a chorus; the gods do not physically intervene or appear on stage as a rule; violent scenes literally occur before the eyes of the audience; he used complex plots and even sub-plots; he used more stage effects and multiple settings.

Shakespeare’s tragedies were not only immensely popular during his lifetime with many performed hundreds of times, but continue to be enduringly popular and influential on modern theatre. However, in the twentieth century, playwrights frequently became more interested in what Arthur Miller called the life of the ‘common man’ with dramas such as ‘Death of a Salesman’ or Tennessee Williams’ ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ portraying the suffering and downfall of normal individuals and employing far more realistic events, settings and characters.

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TASK THREE:

Watch this summary of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. What makes the play a

tragedy? Write at least one paragraph explaining your view.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1WogHnRO7UKDyWd -HPXccUQtdE8N21cq3

TASK FOUR:

Read this extract from ‘Macbeth’ and label anything that could be

considered tragic.

MACBETH

I have almost forgot the taste of fears; The time has been, my senses would have cool'd To hear a night-shriek; and my fell of hair QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER: Would at a dismal treatise rouse and stir As life were in't: I have supp'd full with horrors; 1. What evidence is Direness, familiar to my slaughterous thoughts there of the tragic Cannot once start me. protagonist’s Re-enter SEYTON hamartia?

Wherefore was that cry? 2. In what ways could this be read as a SEYTON moment of The queen, my lord, is dead. anagnorisis?

MACBETH 3. What about this extract generates a She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. sense of pathos?

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, 4. In what ways does Creeps in this petty pace from day to day this extract reveal To the last syllable of recorded time, Macbeth to be a And all our yesterdays have lighted fools typical tragic hero? The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.

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“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness

thrust upon them.” Twelfth Night

“We are such stuff as dreams are made of, and our little life is rounded with a sleep” The Tempest

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time

plays many parts”” As You Like It

WHY DO WE STUDY SHAKESPEARE?

 He wrote plays that are enormously rewarding to act and direct  His characters are endlessly interesting and impossible to reduce to a simple formula  His language, though now difficult, is subtle, richly varied, and eloquent  The plots of his plays still speak to the experiences of the modern world, (think of the teen movies ‘Ten Things I Hate About You’ from ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ and ‘Get Over It’ based on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’)  His plays survive translation and are performed around the world  His comedies are incredibly funny (and often very rude)  They teach us important life lessons  They can have an enormous emotional impact on audiences  Many modern texts refer to Shakespeare’s writing

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TASK FIVE:  He is just an amazingly good writer

Watch this video and then write at least two paragraphs explaining why

you think studying Shakespeare is still worthwhile today.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1--cbj5KdpB0SOEsIgCNxbjkLK6ntxYCu

Shakespearean Context:

Shakespeare lived a fascinating life at a particularly interesting and evolving period of time. As part of your literary studies, you will be expected to include some contextual knowledge in your responses and knowing something about Shakespeare’s biography, theatre and the social and political world in which he existed, will also help you understand his works. There are an array of resources on the internet that can help you to research Shakespeare’s life and times:

 www.shakespearehelp.com: A detailed listing of resource material on Shakespeare, his life, times and plays, particularly useful for advanced learners  www.shakespeare.org.uk: The charity that cares for Shakespeare related sites in Stratford-upon-Avon, (his birthplace) and includes lots of biographical information  www.internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/intro/index.html: Publishes a range of resources related to Shakespeare’s life and times  www.folger.edu/shakespeare-kids: Provides information on Shakespeare’s life and times and much more  www.bardweb.net/index.html: Collects links from all over the web to help you find information about Shakespeare  www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/: Provides full Shakespeare texts together with side by side translations

TASK SIX:

Have a look at some of the above resources and then have a go at

completing the following quiz:

https://forms.gle/KkoRPMaHHYu7HKtW8

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Watching your favourite texts come alive in front of your eyes beats no other experience. The characters, the drama…

The Globe Theatre – London

This replica of the Shakespeare's 16th century theatre, reconstructed just 200 yards from its original site, is the brainchild of American actor and director Sam Wanamaker. Built in wood and thatch, using techniques from 400 years ago, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre opened in 1996. Although it is not an exact replica, it is close, and plays are performed in the open-air, rain or shine. The thrust stage, and the fact that cheap standing tickets are available for every performance, create a raucous relationship between actor and audience that makes it unlike any other London Theatre. Visitors can also tour the theatre and spend time at the adjacent Shakespeare's Globe Exhibition and in January 2013 the Globe expanded to include an indoor candlelit Jacobean theatre, the Sam Wanamaker

Playhouse, next door. http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/theatre/whats-on

Royal Shakespeare Company Stratford -upon-Avon is a beautiful town and is full of a rich history and is the 16th century birthplace of Shakespeare. You can explore the history behind Shakespeare’s writing then go and watch a performance of one of his plays.

Definitely worth a visit and would really enhance your study and appreciation of the Great Bard!

http://www.shakespeare.org.uk/home.html https://www.rsc.org.uk/whats- on/?from=mdd

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What are critical theories?

A critical or literary theory is about a way of looking at literature beyond the typical plot, theme, character study that you have covered at GCSE. Your critical perspective is the view you bring to the literature you read, which will be influenced by your background, life experience and other things that you have read. Just as different people will experience the same event differently, different people will approach the same literary text differently. One person might empathise with a character’s behaviour and feelings, whilst another maybe horrified by them. Rather than insisting that one view is the best or the ‘correct’ way of seeing things, literary theory acknowledges that there are different ways of reading texts and different LENSES through which we can interpret them. Looking at texts through alternative lenses, is exciting because it encourages us to interpret texts in innovative and interesting ways that we might not have otherwise considered.

At A-Level, these are some of the critical perspectives that you might consider (although there are many others):

FEMINIST CRITICAL THEORY:

Feminist critics look at the way in which patriarchal, (male dominated) society has presented women as marginal, other or oppressed. They look at the ways in which literature perpetuates and is influenced by gender stereotypes and how gender assumptions are conveyed and subverted in literature. They explore how feminist writers have been silenced and male voices and writers allowed to dominate, prioritising male voices and values over female ones. They consider the power dynamics between men and women in literature and the different language used by both.

MARXIST CRITICAL THEORY:

Based on the theories of Karl Marx, Marxist critics evaluate how those who control the means of production, (such as the factory owners), control society. They consider the unfair economic and political advantages those in power have over those who do not. They examine the ways in which literature is influenced by the class and cultural values of the writer and the manner in which the working class are frequently silenced, oppressed and objectified. They are concerned with class conflicts and explaining how economic, class and ideological determinants influence literature.

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POST-COLONIAL CRITICAL THEORY:

These critics are concerned with the way in which literature written by individuals not from a white European or Northern American background, has been ignored or seen as lesser. They explore the unconsciously racist nature of some literature and particularly the impact of colonialism and imperialism on literature. They examine how different groups are presented in literature and the way in which non-white groups are often presented as disempowered, oppressed and other. They explore the relationship between the powerful and powerless based on race, ethnicity and the ways in which writers from the colonies have explored their own cultural background and identities as a counter history to that of the colonisers.

NARRATIVE CRITICAL THEORY:

This is concerned with the ways in which stories are constructed and told particularly in terms of structure, form, perspective and setting. They investigate the methods used by authors in depth beyond simply language and poetic devices and consider the use of narrative gaps and silences within a text and what meanings can be read into these.

THE LITERARY CANON:

The literary canon is the group of authors and texts that are considered by academics and historians to be worthy of study. They are the kind of texts studied in schools and on university syllabi. Critics exploring the canon, question why these texts have been chosen and prioritised over others and the potentially bias values on which these choices are based. They explore why some texts are considered more valuable than others and examine the historical biases including race, class and gender that have led to these assumptions.

Literary theory is an important way of studying texts because it enables us to see texts and ways of reading from more than one point of view and acknowledge that there is often

more than one story at work. Watch this video:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=101B8c8UjoSlk1tDSIhksncGMDUKSZiQG

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TASK SEVEN: Read the following poem by Eavan Boland, an Irish female poet, and consider how you could interpret the text from each of the 5 literary theories mentioned above.

The title is Gaelic and translates to ‘I am Ireland’. The poem begins by describing how the speaker feels the reality of her nation’s history has been corrupted through the written word into a romanticised and inaccurate version of the truth. She then goes on to describe the reality through the example of the prostitute in the garrison and the woman forced to emigrate with her child. It finally describes the pain of the loss of language and therefore identity, which has meant that the native Irish have had to adopt a foreign tongue, which means they can no longer accurately relay their history. It was written in 1968.

Mise Eire

I won’t go back to it –

my nation displaced into old dactyls,

oaths made by the animal tallows of the candle –

land of the Gulf Stream, the small farm, the scalded memory, the songs that bandage up the history, the words that make a rhythm of the crime

where time is time past. A palsy of regrets. No. I won’t go back. My roots are brutal:

Pto.

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I am the woman – a sloven’s mix of silk at the wrists,

a sort of dove-strut in the precincts of the garrison –

who practises

the quick frictions, the rictus of delight and gets cambric for it,

rice coloured silks.

I am the woman in the gansy-coat on board the ‘Mary Belle’, in the huddling cold, holding her half-dead baby to her as the wind shifts East and North over the dirty water of the wharf

mingling the immigrant guttural with the vowels

of homesickness who neither knows nor cares that

a new language is a kind of scar and heals after a while

into a passable imitation of what went before.

TASK EIGHT:

Choose a poem of your own that you think you could read in an interesting way from one of the five critical perspectives and write at least two paragraphs explaining how the poem can be interpreted from this point of view.

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What is political and social protest writing?

Political and social protest writing are texts that have ideas associated with power and powerlessness at their core whether in a private, domestic setting or in wider society. They often foreground issues associated with oppression and domination as a result of race, class, gender, education, ethnicity, cultural background or economic status. As a result, they are also often interested in ideas about rebellion and fighting back against repression and constraints or giving voice to the voiceless. They can be written in any form or genre and set in any time period including the future, but often comment on the society from which the writer is constructing their text. These are some of the key issues that they examine or include:

 GOVERNMENT AND STATE POWER  EXTREMISM  CONTROL & RESTRAINT  BREAKING BOUNDARIES  DEFIANCE  NOSTALGIA  FREEDOM & SLAVERY  SOCIAL ORGANISATIONS  GENDER IMBALANCES  TYRANNY  CORRUPTION  SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND CAPITALISM  THE LAW  POWER & AUTHORITY  REVOLUTION  POVERTY  DISENFRANCHISEMENT/  CONSPIRACY ENFRANCHISEMENT  DEPRIVATION OF LANGUAGE  WAR & CONFLICT  THE PUBLIC AND THE PERSONAL  INVASION  DEMOCRACY  OPPRESSION  INSTITUTIONS INCLUDING RELIGION  GIVING A VOICE TO THE VOICELESS  EQUALIY/ INEQUALITY  RACIAL AND ETHNIC IMBALANCES  POLICE  MORALITY/ IMMORALITY  SURVEILLANCE  LITERATURE BREAKING THE RULES  SECRECY  REBELLION  CENSORSHIP  PROTEST  VIOLENCE  THE CLASS SYSTEM

 CONSPIRACY  JUSTICE

TASK NINE: Choose one of the following short stories. Read it through carefully and then write at least one side of A4 explaining some of the political and social protest issues that the text raises. Don’t simply write a list. Focus on three or four ideas that you think are the most important

and explain how the writers address them

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1. ‘THE PAPER MENAGERIE’ BY KEN LIU: LINK TO THE STORY: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13Wj7tyARTlUJaR4kO6PHP7IQv- QqmeQZ/view

This tells the story of a bi-racial boy named Jack, who has a white father and a Chinese mother, who immigrated to America. It explores the ways in which Jack comes to terms with his heritage and the choices his mother was forced to make as a result of her early oppression. It is truly heart-breaking!

Audio version: http://podcastle.org/2011/07/12/podcastle-165-the- paper-menagerie/ OR search ‘The Paper Menagerie’ in your podcast app.

2. ‘DESIREE’S BABY’ BY KATE CHOPIN:

LINK TO THE STORY:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vQ-ZR- 2oItYOlEPCqpyg1H9AjckHkPFc/view?usp=sharing This tells the story of a woman living in the Southern states of America whose origins are unknown. However, when a rich landowner

falls in love with her, he does not care. This all changes when their

first child is born and a devastating secret is revealed. Audio version: https://audioboom.com/posts/1225335-desiree-s- baby-by-kate-chopin-and-narrated-by-jean-apps-full-short-story

3. ‘THEY’RE MADE OUT OF MEAT!’ BY TERRY BISSON:

LINK TO THE STORY:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19l8c1sUZkAMBm24x6_R4dSFIOkBs N9xf/view?usp=sharing An alien’s perspective of life on earth. Really unique! Audio version:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vhmaPZ04S4FW1cKvf45uvuGD7N

VGcjl6

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4. ‘THE YELLOW WALLPAPER’ BY CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN:

LINK TO THE STORY: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xIfLJVIGMgyGHJBLrEnaoqecMgs0

K5mx/view?usp=sharing This story is narrated from the point of a view a new mother struggling with her new baby and the claustrophobic home in which she finds herself. This is an interesting exploration of the slow unravelling of a woman, who is denied the right to her own voice or to be creative by her controlling husband and the terrible consequences that then ensue. AUDIO: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Eh58NucEyeSdyKaY51elAfVz0ODS dQhR/view?usp=sharing

5. ‘THE ZERO METER DIVING TEAM’ BY JIM SHEPARD: LINK TO THE STORY: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IDpB6YTSGXW5G1DFw9KMY7rIe 9WDUDb5

The story follows three brothers’ experience of the Chernobyl disaster. Their father is the director of the Physico-Energy Institute. Our narrator, Boris, the oldest brother, is the chief engineer of the Department of Nuclear Energy. However, when disaster strikes the men are torn between loyalty to state and family tragedy. A heart- breaking tale of political corruption and personal disaster.

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TASK TEN:

If you could choose one novel of your own to study at A-Level, what

would it be and why? Write at least two paragraphs justifying your

choice.

TIPS:

 Twitter - follow writers and academics who blog about literature  Keep a blog on your reading and what you have found – far easier than carrying around a big file  Sign up to goodreads (www.goodreads.com) where you can keep a record of your reading and share reviews with friends  Read a couple of the set texts over the summer – remember that, to be successful, you will need to read them a few times before the exams in order to have a really good understanding.  Download the audio book of the text – Listen and read at the same time  Get an understanding of what Marxism, feminism etc. are and how they help our understanding of literature  Create a profile for one of the authors that you will be studying  Use the recommended reading lists available on the supercurriculum https://sites.google.com/queens.herts.sch.uk/superenglish/click-me/reading-lists-and- book-awards and on the Queens’ website http://www.queens.herts.sch.uk/wp- content/uploads/2019/02/KS5-READING-LIST.pdf to challenge yourself  Use the library – Google books, school library, university libraries, local libraries  Download an app called Pocket (available on Android and Apple devices) – which keeps all your reading saved in one place  Write a weekly reflection of what you have learnt each week – These notes can build up to some great revision notes.  Visit some of the recommended literary places to see in London or go to the theatre to see some of the great plays available (a standing place at The Globe is only £10!)  Listen to TED talks on literature and grammar to widen your understand of the subject. This enables you to see what other people’s perspectives are. You can listen to them online or download the app. Follow these links to get you started: - https://www.ted.com/topics/literature - http://blog.ed.ted.com/2014/05/29/be-a-better-writer-in-15-minutes-4-ted-ed- lessons-on-grammar-and-word-choice/

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A passion for all things literary does not have to be confined to reading. There are a multiplicity of places you could visit to expand your literary and cultural experiences especially living near London!

Shakespeare’s Globe: A magnificent reconstruction of Shakespeare’s original theatre. Tours are available daily and they run a range of lectures and talks. £17 for a tour Southbank, London https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/

Sir John Soane’s Museum An historic house near Holborn that houses an amazing collection of artefacts and books from Hogarth’s ‘Rake’s Progress’ to an Egyptian sarcophagus. FREE Holborn, London https://www.soane.org/

The British Library An outstanding collection of books. They regularly run tours, lectures, talks and exhibitions Some free exhibitions; tours - £8.00; talks and events start at £7.00 Near Euston, London https://www.bl.uk/

The British Museum A superb collection of art and artefacts related to history, culture and literature over a vast period of time FREE to visit; exhibitions (many free for under 16s if accompanied by a paying adult) Bloomsbury, London https://www.britishmuseum.org/

The Harry Potter Shop A shop dedicated to all things Harry Potter related FREE Kings Cross, London https://www.harrypotterplatform934.com/

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Sherlock Holmes Museum A museum that gives you the opportunity to step back in time into the world of Holmes and Watson £15 – adults £10 – under 16 Baker Street, London http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/

Keats’ House The former home of the great romantic poet and a museum dedicated to anything related to his life and works Under 17 – Free £6.50 adults Hampstead, London https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/keats-house/Pages/default.aspx

Charles Dickens’ Museum One of Dickens’ former homes – it is now a museum dedicated to all things Dickensian Under 16 - £4.50 Adults - £9.50 Bloomsbury, London https://dickensmuseum.com/

Museum of London The Museum of London documents the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times FREE` Barbican, London https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london

Women’s Library at the LSE The main library and museum resource on women and the women's movement, concentrating on Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries. FREE Houghton Street, London http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/collections/collection-highlights/the-womens-library

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Many organisations also run events, lectures and exhibitions that are well worth attending. Here are just a few ideas:

1. THE BRITISH LIBRARY: The British Library run a range of events, lectures, exhibitions and workshops some of which are free and cover a plethora of topics related to history, culture, art and literature: https://www.bl.uk/events

2. FOYLES BOOK SHOP: One of the largest and oldest book shops in London, they also run literary events at the cost of only £5 for students: https://www.foyles.co.uk/events-at-foyles

3. KINGS COLLEGE LONDON: The prestigious university offers a number of free lectures on a range of topics: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/events/events-calendar.aspx?type=lecture

4. THE BRITISH ACADEMY: The national body for the humanities and social sciences offer a range of free lectures that you can sign up to: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/events

5. THE BRITISH MUSEUM: The prestigious museum offers a number of lectures and tours on a range of topics. Some of these are free, although others can cost more: https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar.aspx

6. WATERSTONES: A number of Waterstones branches, particularly in London, offer book signings and talks, which cost as little as £5.00: https://www.waterstones.com/events

7. CHORLEYWOOD AND GERARD’S CROSS BOOKSHOP: A fantastic pair of book shops that run evening talks, book signings and events at a relatively low cost: https://chilternbookshops.co.uk/events

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