Exile has always been a powerful springboard for fiction and such books seem particularly relevant in the current world situation. On this course we will read, discuss and compare a number of novels about exile, set in different locations and times and see how their authors have portrayed the minds and experiences of their exiled characters, whether their change of country has been freely chosen or enforced. We will explore together themes such as identity, 'otherness', displacement and integration, nostalgia for the past and hopes for the future. In the first term we will cover settings in Australia, Berlin, London and New York in our discussions on: 'The Secret River' by Kate Grenville, 'Brooklyn' by Colm Toibin, 'Go, Went, Gone' by Jenny Erpenbeck, 'The Lonely Londoners' by Sam Selvon and 'Golden Hill' by Francis Spufford.