Group Leader: Elise Collins

Tutor: Alan McLean

We meet from 2.00 to 3.30pm on the last Wednesday of each month during the Autumn and Spring terms (not Summer term) at Fairycroft House.

The u3a Exploring Literature Group has been reading, discussing, and analysing fiction for about fifteen years: we first met at the old Bell College and we still have some of the original members with us from those days. Each year we choose a theme and read novels that relate to that theme. For example, in 2023-4 the theme was ‘When we were young’. We chose novels that we might have read as children (‘Oliver Twist’, ‘Anne of Green Gables’) and novels by less familiar authors where the protagonist was a young person experiencing life-changing events (‘I’m not scared’. ‘Out Stealing Horses’). The thematic approach lets us compare different writers’ handling of similar issues.

For 2024-5 our theme is ‘In a strange land’ where we will examine novels about living in a foreign land and coping with its customs and traditions. Some of the authors will include Henry James, Paul Scott, and Olivia Manning.

We are a friendly and welcoming group and there is plenty of opportunity for members to express their opinions of the books, Our discussions are lively but always friendly. If you are interested in joining please contact Elise.