• Offered by School of Literature, Languages and Linguistics
  • ANU College ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
  • Course subject Spanish
  • Areas of interest European Languages, World Literature, European Studies, Latin American Studies
  • Academic career UGRD
  • Course convener
    • Dr Fabricio Tocco
  • Mode of delivery In Person
  • Offered in Second Semester 2026
    See Future Offerings

In this course, we will read a variety of literary texts from Latin America and Spain. As such, we will explore Spanish as World Literature, in different genres (novel, short story, essay, poetry) and periods. By analysing the differences and similarities between these texts, we will engage with Hispanic history, politics and culture through the lens of literature. The content of this course changes every time it is taught so that students could re-take it multiple times.

SPAN3100 will focus on a variety of potential topics related to Spanish World Literature. The course content, assessment structure, and reading list will change depending on the topics and the expertise of the lecturer convening the course. Please refer to class summary for the specific term in which you wish to enroll for a detailed description. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • Great Works of Latin American World Literature

This course will introduce students to the life, works, and socio-historical context of some of the most significant writers of Latin American World Literature in the 20th Century. For instance, student’s will encounter great and world-renowned authors such as Jorge Luis Borges, Mario Vargas Llosa, Julio Cortázar, Gabriel García Márquez, Clarice Lispector, Isabel Allende, and Ariel Dorfman, to understand their artistic contribution to their nations and indeed the world. It will equip students with skills in close reading, comparative analysis of texts, the study of social and artistic movements, concepts in the sociology of art as well as world literature studies.

  • Crímenes Perfectos: Hispanic Crime Fiction

In this course, we will read a variety of fictional narratives (novels, short novels and short stories) that use crime to talk about something else: violence and political power. The literary treatment of perfect crimes will work as a compass for us to read and discuss Hispanic literary masterpieces, as violence and political power are essential to understand narratives written throughout the Spanish-speaking world: from Colombia, Mexico and Argentina to Chile, Spain and Peru. We will see how these texts challenge a series of intersections: the pen and the sword, personification, personalism and depersonalization, aesthetical and political representation, mythology and history, masculinity and sovereignty. By analyzing the differences and similarities between these authors, we will engage with Hispanic history, politics and culture through the lens of fiction.

  • 21st Century Hispanic World Literature

This course will introduce students to the state of the art of contemporary Spanish and Latin American fiction. It will consider literature’s relationship to politics and (post-) dictatorship, social and ecological movements, neoliberalism and the book industry, as well as the nation and the world. Students will become acquainted with rising starts of Spanish literature World Literature, including Roberto Bolaño, Junot Díaz, Samanta Schweblin, Mariana Enriquez, Nona Fernández, Alejandro Zambra and Benjamín Labatut. It will equip students with skills in close reading, comparative analysis of texts, the study of social and artistic movements, concepts in the sociology of art as well as world literature studies.

  • Picturing Latin America and Spain

From the mean streets of Buenos Aires to México City’s Colonia Roma, from the labyrinthine Paraguayan markets in Asunción to the revolutionary corners of 1960s Havana, from the oppressive atmosphere of Francoist Spain to modern-day Chile —in this course, we will watch a variety of feature films from across Latin America and Spain, examining how they picture socio-political as well as aesthetic turning points in Hispanic film history. We will read these audio-visual texts through a series of intersections such as aesthetical and political representation; fiction and history; masculinity and violence; feminism and agency; gender and class; Spanish and Indigenous languages and cultures.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

  1. critically analyse Hispanic culture through the lens of literary texts;
  2. present and discuss Hispanic cultural and literary topics in oral and written form;
  3. conduct research relevant to a Spanish and Latin American literature and culture and its socio-historical context, and present it in a critical and coherent fashion; and
  4. use, integrate and apply relevant historical, ethnographic, political and sociological frameworks contained in the course materials and other sources.

Other Information

As this is a topics course with different readings, students can receive credit for completing this course up to two times.

Indicative Assessment

  1. Midterm test (30) [LO 1,2,4]
  2. Oral presentation, 15min (30) [LO 1,2,3,4]
  3. Class engagement and participation (10) [LO 1,2]
  4. Final Project (500-700 words) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4]

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Workload

130 hours of total student learning time made up from:

a) 42 hours of contact over 12 weeks: 3.5 class hours per week, and

b) 88 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.

Requisite and Incompatibility

To enrol in this course you must have completed SPAN2002, or have an equivalent level of language proficiency as demonstrated by a placement test, or with permission of the convener. You are not able to enrol in this course if you have previously completed SPAN6513.

Prescribed Texts

Not applicable

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees

Student Contribution Band:
1
Unit value:
6 units

If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Units EFTSL
6.00 0.12500
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.

Second Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
8533 27 Jul 2026 03 Aug 2026 31 Aug 2026 30 Oct 2026 In Person N/A

Responsible Officer: Registrar, Student Administration / Page Contact: Website Administrator / Frequently Asked Questions