Literary sociability

Abstract

This chapter explores the potential of re-envisioning classrooms as sites of ‘literary sociability’. The concept of ‘literary sociability’ derives from literary studies, where it signals a shift away from a focus on books and writers to a consideration of the ways writing and reading are grounded in particular communities and institutional settings. The question is whether the social relationships that constitute English classrooms can meaningfully be characterised as giving rise to a form of ‘literary sociability’, as distinct from the sociability of book clubs, writers’ festivals and other social settings where adults voluntarily come together to share their enjoyment of reading and writin..