From William Wordsworth to the Clash via Charles Dickens and Philip Pullman, the city of London has become more than a simple backdrop for the events of a novel. London is a living, breathing character in the texts we studied, reflecting the diversity within the city.
In the second term of their first year in the International Section in the lycée, students in Seconde study a range of literary texts and extracts as well as a BBC adaptation of Great Expectation by Dickens in order to better understand the ways in which writers use setting to explore themes and develop characterisation.
The final task of the term is to combine the skills and knowledge acquired to develop a literary festival celebrating London’s place in literature. The students were given a design brief and a list of evaluation specifications that had to be met. They also had the option to work individually or as part of a team.
The resulting comic strips, short stories, brochures, audio guides and art installations were outstanding.