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Accessibility statement
An image to illustrate Introduction to European crime fiction short course
From page-turning mysteries to gritty social commentary, European crime fiction offers more than just thrilling plots. In this course, you’ll explore novels from France, Britain, Sweden, Italy and Germany, and consider how they reflect historical and cultural change from 1945 to today. Through interactive activities, you’ll adopt the roles of detective, author and critic as you analyse texts, explore media adaptations and consider the impact of translation. You’ll develop your ability to interpret fiction thoughtfully and gain fresh insights into the genre. On completion, you’ll receive a digital badge to share on social media, in emails or as a certificate.
This course is divided into the following five units:
In Unit 1, you’ll reflect on what crime fiction is, why it is such a rich literary genre. You’ll discover its development in Europe since 1945 and consider how knowing the history of the continent can inform our reading of crime fiction; and how, conversely, crime fiction can give us insights into history.
Unit 2 explores crime fiction writing in the post-1945 period in France and Britain. You’ll consider a historical overview of the development of the polar, the French crime novel and reflect on some of the techniques used by a number of important authors.
In Unit 3 you’ll explore crime fiction writing in the post-1945 period in Sweden, Italy and Germany. These three nations offer interesting contrasts in their relation to the genre.
In Unit 4, you’ll reflect on the issues involved in adapting crime fiction novels to other media, such as film, television, radio and theatre, as well as considering the linguistic and cultural challenges of translation between languages and cultures.
Finally, in Unit 5, you’ll consolidate your learning from the first four units, drawing conclusions and applying the knowledge and skills you have acquired. This will be done through a series of activities that use the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired to take on a number of productive roles – detective, author, adaptor, translator and critic.
After completing the course, you will be able to:
The course is taught entirely online, with the aid of a learning adviser to offer support where needed. You will have access to online forums that you are strongly encouraged to participate in, as they are an excellent source of support and information. These forums combine peer support with input from the specialist learning adviser(s). Other support is available via the StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.
The course is made up of five units, with each unit expected to take about 4–5 hours to study. In total, you’ll need around 20–25 hours to complete the course.
You can begin at any time during the life of the course and study at your own pace. The course will be open to you for a time period of between 6 and 18 months depending on your course registration date and you will be advised of the specific time limitations upon enrolment.
All learning materials are delivered entirely online and there is no formal tuition for this course.
Your study is self-directed and you’ll have access to a course website, which includes:
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no entry requirements for this course.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact us.
The course is delivered online and makes use of a variety of online resources. If you use specialist hardware or software to assist you in using a computer or the internet you are advised to contact us about support which can be given to meet your needs.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying LG008 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
StartEngland fee
At anytime before 31/07/2026£99
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
If this course is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could ask your employer to sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. Your sponsor just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
The fee information provided here is valid for short courses starting in the 2026/27 academic year. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
You can start this course anytime.
You can start this course anytime.
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