How Did the Novel Begin? An Introduction



Overview

Explore the beginnings of the English novel during this five-week introductory course with Dr Octavia Cox.

Have you ever wondered how the novel genre became the most popular literary form? The answer lies in its origins. What were its inspirations and precursors? What gap in the market did it fill? Which new readers did it speak to? 

This course introduces some key ideas of literary history, looks at contexts from which the novel developed, and considers the new kinds of readers and lives that it addressed and represented (particularly women and non-elites). We will ask ourselves what makes something a novel.

The first week will be a general introduction to fundamental ideas, terms, genres and contexts. In the four subsequent weeks, there will be a very short extract (a chapter's length) from an early novel that will illuminate its new and innovative elements.

Programme details

Course starts Wednesday 21 January 2026

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings in Oxford on Wednesdays, 7-9pm.

Week 1: General introduction to fundamental concepts and contexts (such as, the problem of 'fiction'; travelogues, histories, auto-/biographies, romances; letter writing, literacy rates; advancements in printing technology)

Week 2: 'True Histories'; extract from Aphra Behn's Oroonoko (1688)

Week 3: New readers, new lives; extract from Daniel Defoe's Moll Flanders (1722)

Week 4: Fiction, satire and socio-political commentary; extract from Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels (1726)

Week 5: Entertainment and morality; extract from Samuel Richardson's Pamela (1740)

Digital Certification

Digital badge

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be issued with an official digital badge from the Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford. In order to be issued with your badge, you will need to have attended at least 80% of the course.

After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download your digital badge. You will be able to add this badge to your email signature and share it on social media if you choose to do so. 

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee £180.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. See details of our concessionary fees for short courses.

Tutor

Dr Octavia Cox

Dr Octavia Cox is a Departmental Lecturer at OUDCE in English Literature.  She completed her doctorate at the University of Oxford, has taught and lectured at the University of Oxford, the University of Nottingham, and elsewhere, and has published various peer-reviewed chapters and articles.  Her first monograph, Alexander Pope and Romantic Poetics, is forthcoming.  She is currently researching a book provisionally titled Jane Austen and Genre.

You can find her online video lectures on classic literature and literary analysis on her YouTube channel, @DrOctaviaCox.

Course aims

The course aims to increase your knowledge and understanding of the development of the novel genre. 

Course objectives:

  • To study the development of the early novel in English (including the literary and historical contexts from which it emerged).
  • To develop and enhance skills of close reading and literary analysis.  
  • To enjoy exploring the material. 

Teaching methods

The course will be taught in a series of seminars, which will involve:

  • Short informal lectures by the tutor (providing introductory and contextualising material).
  • Group discussions.
  • Student presentations.
  • Exercises of literary criticism in class.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, students will have been given the opportunity to have:

  • developed a greater knowledge and understanding of the novel genre;
  • gained knowledge of and insight into relevant literary and historical contexts; and
  • exercised and enhanced skills of close-reading and literary analysis.

Assessment methods

This course is not accredited, so there are no assessments or coursework.

Application

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support