Course Summary
This course provides a unique and exciting opportunity for students to examine a wide range of British literature from various genres and periods through the lens of gender and sexuality. You will discuss representations of the changing roles of women in Early Modern England, from Isabella Whitney’s A Sweet Nosegay and William Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost in the 16th Century to ‘breeches’ plays of the 17th Century. You will explore themes of womanhood, sexuality, and maternity in Romanticism and the Gothic through works such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the poems of Mary Robinson. Further areas of discussion will include censorship and (homo)sexuality, and differing constructions of masculinity in 20th Century British literature, as well as exploring queer literature in contemporary Britain, such as the works of Mary Jean Chan and Hanif Kureishi. Theoretical frameworks, including feminist literary theory and queer theory, will be examined and applied throughout the course, and lectures and supplementary resources will equip you with the historical and cultural knowledge to contextualise the texts you will study.
- Live and study in Lady Margaret Hall, one of Oxford's finest colleges
- Learn from experienced academics using the tutorial system
- Enjoy meals in hall, experiencing life as an Oxford student
- Gain new skills to take you further in your future academic or professional career.
What's Included?
- All tuition, including lectures, seminars, and tutorials
- Assessment, transcript of academic performance, and certificate
- A co-curricular programme of skills workshops and guest speakers
- Access to the Lady Margaret Hall College Library
- Bed & Breakfast accommodation throughout your programme
- Lunch and dinner in the College Dining Hall Monday to Friday
- A full Social & Cultural Programme, including two excursions to other English cities per three-week programme session
- A high-quality printed class photograph
- Formal Graduation banquet.
Accommodation
You will stay in College accommodation onsite at Lady Margaret Hall, in en suite bedrooms normally occupied by our undergraduate students during term time.
You will eat breakfast each day in the Dining Hall, and lunch and dinner will also be provided in College on each of your teaching days. On the final evening of the course there is a Graduation Formal Hall, when students dress up in their finest outfits for a special banquet served in the Dining Hall.
Tuition
LMH Summer Programmes are designed and delivered by experienced academics and experts from Lady Margaret Hall and across the University of Oxford, and are taught using the Oxford teaching model, which emphasises personalised small-group learning. Each week you will take part in a range of class types, including lectures, seminars, and tutorials.
Extracurricular Activities
The academic programme is the fundamental core of an LMH Summer Programme, and you will have a busy schedule of lectures, seminars, tutorials, and independent study time. Outside of your study time, however, our Resident Advisers are here to help you get to know other students, explore the city, and have an authentic experience of life as a student at an Oxford college.

A historic and beautiful college of the University of Oxford with its own intellectually challenging summer school.