COURSE CURRICULUM

The Creative Writing and English Literature degree offers a rich and varied curriculum across three years, combining practice-based learning with critical literary study. In the first year, students begin by developing their creative voice through short-form writing such as poetry, flash fiction, and historical fiction. Modules introduce traditional poetic forms from around the world, alongside opportunities to experiment with social media writing and digital formats. Students explore the ethical boundaries between fact and fiction and engage in peer feedback and revision. As the year progresses, they examine themes of journey, place, and belonging through interdisciplinary collaboration. Other modules explore multimodal writing influenced by digital innovation and global literature, while the study of poetry across historical periods deepens their analytical reading skills. In the second year, the curriculum expands to include medieval and early modern literature, helping students trace the historical foundations of English literary traditions. Through a module on work and society, students also begin to explore potential career paths and social themes like identity, race, and sustainability. They develop narrative techniques in the Story Craft module, focusing on structure, character, and storytelling across genres, while the Romantic and Victorian Literature module introduces them to major authors and the social upheavals reflected in their works. The third year provides two distinct routes. One path allows students to focus their dissertation on creative writing, exploring screen-based writing such as film scripts, podcasts, and web fiction, alongside global literary themes, digital revolutions in publishing, and postcolonial literature. The alternative route offers a dissertation in English Literature, complemented by modules in experimental writing practices, the global publishing industry, and literary modernism. Both routes blend practical, professional, and critical skills, preparing graduates for a wide range of careers in writing, publishing, education, and the arts. The final dissertation project consolidates students’ creative or analytical strengths, showcasing their development over the course of the degree.