ABSTRACT
Parroting back something a teacher has already covered is far less identity exposing, or indeed threatening for a student than offering their own thoughts. One aspect of studying fiction where carefully considering the potential influence of power dynamics is of particular value is in relation to personal response. It is most useful to start with thinking about reading novels. This is because reading a novel in a classroom is both a highly familiar staple of school English, and an extremely odd type of reading experience, relative to almost any other, for both teachers and students. In higher education, this imbalance is, however, typically avoided, making studying fiction at this level in this respect more akin to booktalk in other scenarios. Booktalk, just like any other interaction, necessarily involves power dynamics operating between participants. Talking About Texts aimed to delve into an aspect of booktalk as central and prescient as it is taboo: lying about our reading.
