Fiction as feminist pedagogy: an examination of curriculum and teaching strategies embodied in the novel

This article argues that fiction can operate as a critical feminist curriculum and discusses how this manifests itself in terms of content and teaching methodologies. It uses a close reading of Naomi Alderman’s dystopian fiction The Power (2016) to explore this, complemented by an analysis of a discussion between Alderman and readers participating in a book club organised through the UK discussion forum Mumsnet. It concludes that fiction can stimulate learning and critical reflection, in this instance with respect to gender and power, thus functioning as critical feminist pedagogy.