This lecture introduces students to the history, theory, and practice of intermediality, providing them with essential critical tools to analyze and interpret various forms of word-image constellations in contemporary Anglophone literature. By examining the dynamic interactions of literature and visual media—including painting, film, and photography—the course investigates how literature responds to and is reshaped by evolving media technologies. Through the study of visually rich literary texts, the course explores how textual and visual elements coalesce to create unique aesthetic experiences and emotional responses. Special attention is given to how these media interactions challenge representations of gender, race, class, and (dis)ability. These aims are enabled by the careful engagement with influential theoretical texts by G. E. Lessing, Walter Benjamin, and Susan Sontag, and the analysis of works by authors such as Donna Tartt, Teju Cole, Ali Smith, and Olivia Laing. By the end of the course, students will have gained a critical understanding of word-image aesthetics within contemporary Anglophone literature, and recognize how these intermedial crossings enable new interpretative possibilities.

Assessment (pass/fail or graded): final exam, 60% required to secure a 4.0/pass.

• Students are familiar with key concepts and approaches to intermediality studies, especially word-image constellations;
• Students have developed a critical awareness of the relations between the textual and the visual in contemporary Anglophone literature;
• Students are acquainted with a broad range of theoretical and literary texts in the field of word-image studies.

Required Reading: All readings (primary and secondary sources) will be uploaded to Moodle by the first week of February. Please make sure you carefully prepare all the uploaded material before the respective sessions, as all readings will be subject to examination.