University of Roehampton - Postgraduate Webinar: Sally Rooney’s Normal People, Prize Culture and Popular Literature

For this MA Popular Literature and Culture Taster Session, we will be exploring the relationship between literary prize culture and popular literature. Using Sally's Rooney's phenomenally successful Man Booker-longlisted Normal People as a case study, we will discuss the ways in which prize culture and popular culture are often set up in opposition to another, as well as the many false equivalences that are made between "good" literature and prize-worthy fiction. Throughout this session, we will challenge the commonly held view that prize-worthy fiction is "good" literature" and that popular literature is "bad" or "unworthy" of cultural consideration. The webinar will be hosted by Dr. Ian Kinane who teaches on the MA in Popular Literature and Culture.