Murder Most British: From Marple to Morse



Overview

This course takes you on a journey through the evolution of British crime fiction and film, asking not just how these stories are built – but why they matter.

We begin with the so-called 'Golden Age' of British detective fiction (c. 1918–1945), where writers like Agatha Christie set down the rules of the game: the gentleman detective, the isolated country house, the fair-play puzzle for the reader to solve.

From there, we’ll examine how the detective tradition transforms: how the criminal becomes an anti-hero, how the landscape matters (from seaside resorts to Oxford’s dreaming spires), how the genre becomes a mirror for society.

We look at how real‐life crimes from notorious twentieth-century British cases are reimagined in creative writing and film, and how the ethics of that re-writing challenge us to ask who is telling the story and why.

The course closes with a move into the modern era as we consider how the detective story persists, adapts and still engages with our national anxieties even as formats, media and audiences change.

If you have ever wondered how a detective’s world is constructed, how crime fiction speaks to bigger cultural fears, or how film brings that to life visually, join us for a lively, critical and fun exploration of the shadows behind the genre.

This course is part of the Inspiring Oxford summer school programme, held at Brasenose College.

Programme details

Daily schedule

After registration on Sunday afternoon, we invite you to a welcome meeting in the Amersi Lecture Theatre in New Quad, where you will meet your tutors. Join us in Deer Park afterwards for our opening drinks reception, followed by dinner in Brasenose’s historic dining hall (informal dress).

Seminars take place on weekday mornings. Most afternoons are free, allowing you time to explore Oxford, enjoy a variety of optional social events (see details below), or to sit back and relax in one of the college's atmospheric quads.

Your course culminates on Friday evening with a closing drinks reception and gala farewell dinner at which Certificates of Attendance are awarded. For this special occasion smart dress is encouraged (no requirement to wear dinner suits or gowns).

Social programme 

We warmly invite all Inspiring Oxford students to take part in our optional social programme, with all events provided at no additional cost. Events are likely to include:

  • Croquet on the quad
  • Chauffeured punting from Magdalen Bridge
  • Expert-led walking tours of Oxford
  • Optional visit to an Oxford Library or the Ashmolean Museum
  • River Thames afternoon cruise
  • Quiz night in the college bar
  • Scottish country dance evening (where you do the dancing!)

Seminars

Monday

Agatha Christie and the Golden Age of crime fiction

We open the week with an exploration of the 'Golden Age' of detective fiction (1918–1945), the era that made Agatha Christie a household name. Meet the sharp-witted Miss Marple and the meticulous Hercule Poirot as we uncover the classic structures and moral puzzles that define the detective story. Alongside these iconic tales, we’ll examine the genre’s critics including Raymond Chandler’s famous challenge to Christie’s polite puzzles in 'The Simple Art of Murder'.

Tuesday

The criminal as anti-hero

Can crime ever be glamorous? During today’s seminars, we turn to Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock and Roland Joffé’s 2010 film adaptation to explore the darker side of crime fiction; the allure of the anti-hero. Set amid 1960s Brighton’s criminal underworld, this session examines the city as character and metaphor, asking how place shapes morality. We’ll also discuss George Orwell’s provocative essay 'The Decline of the English Murder' and Britain’s cultural fascination with crime.

Wednesday

Fictionalizing real life crimes

Today, we examine how writers like Carol Ann Duffy, Shelagh Delaney and Benjamin Zephaniah transform notorious British cases (from the Moors Murders to the killing of Stephen Lawrence) into art. This session asks: What happens when real suffering becomes story? What responsibilities do authors bear when reimagining real tragedy?

Thursday

The psychological thriller

Today, we turn from clues and alibis to explore the murky depths of the human mind. Through Zoe Heller’s Notes on a Scandal and its film adaptation, we consider obsession, envy and moral ambiguity; hallmarks of the modern psychological thriller.

Friday

The detective story up-to-date?

Our week ends, appropriately, in Oxford with Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse and Russell Lewis’s Endeavour. Both revisit and reinvent the detective formula for new generations, blending nostalgia with social commentary. How have the 'rules' of classic detective fiction evolved – or endured – in the 21st century? What does crime fiction reveal about us today?

Certification

Certificate of Attendance

At the end of the course you will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Digital badge

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

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2625.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £2275.00
Fee option 3 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2435.00
Fee option 4 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1855.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for the Inspiring Oxford Summer School programme.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis

Included in the course fee:

  • Any included excursions (see programme details above) and the full optional social programme.
  • Breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.
  • Morning refreshments and the welcome and closing drinks receptions.

Participants attending multiple weeks

Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. Please  email inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk to arrange this.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.
  • If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Please be aware that all payments (and refunds) made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee

Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Programme Administrator, up to 1 May 2026; however, in accordance with our terms and conditions for our open access courses, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.​

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Dr Andrew Maunder - Tutor

Andrew Maunder is Head of Humanities at the University of Hertfordshire. He is the author of biographies of Bram Stoker (2004), Wilkie Collins (2010) and Enid Blyton (2021). Other work includes The British Short Story (2010) and a chapter on detective fiction  or The Cambridge History of the English Short Story.  (2016). He is the coordinator of the ‘British Theatre of World War One and After’ project which stages lost plays for modern audiences, most recently A.A. Milne’s The Truth about Blayds at London’s Finborough Theatre (2025).

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 16 people.

Teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Physical handouts
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Student presentations
  • Video recordings

Application

Registration closes on 29 May 2026 at 2pm BST (UK time).

If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single person accommodation and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button at the top of this page. Please do not complete an enrolment form for these. 

If you have any trouble booking online, please contact the Programme Administrator by emailing inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Single bedroom options:

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Twin bedrooms

Those requiring a twin en-suite room (for two people) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online. Please note these rooms have limited availability. 

If requesting a twin room, each person should complete an enrolment form and name the other person who they wish to share a room with. 

Ground/lower floor accommodation

Brasenose rooms do not have lift access, and the higher rooms can be located up a few flights of stairs. If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please complete an enrolment form and indicate your requirements, or contact the Programme Administrator directly at inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible. 

Enrolment form

The enrolment form is an editable PDF and can be completed electronically, so you should not need to print and scan it. 

Completed forms should be sent:

  • by email to inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk, or

  • by post to Inspiring Oxford, Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

Level and demands

The Inspiring Oxford programme is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. Courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

There are no assessments for this course.

Accommodation

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the 'application' section above for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you, including how to request a lower/ground floor room.

The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. All meals included are served in Brasenose College's dining hall. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.

Accommodation options at Brasenose

During your course, for an authentic Oxford University experience you can stay in typical student accommodation at Brasenose College, in the heart of the city in buildings overlooked by the iconic Radcliffe Camera. 

Please note that bedrooms are student rooms. They are simply and modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning. You can find out more about Brasenose and its facilities by visiting their website.

The following types of accommodation are available. 

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Twin en suite: shared between participants that apply to the programme together, with private bathroom facilities.
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Non-residential option

Prefer not to stay on site? We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have lunch and dinner at Brasenose College, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere. Breakfast is not included.

Non-residential participants are warmly encouraged to take part in every aspect of the academic and social programme and enjoy the same access to Brasenose facilities as residential participants.

Participants attending multiple weeks

We welcome students who want to attend multiple Inspiring Oxford courses. Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. This option ensures a seamless and enjoyable stay in Oxford.

Accommodation before/after your course

We are unable to arrange accommodation at Brasenose College prior to or following your course. Please visit universityrooms.com if you require additional nights of bed and breakfast accommodation, and they may be able to assist.

Additionally, family or friends who are not enrolled in the programme cannot be accommodated in college. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support