Colchester, United Kingdom
DURATION
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest start date
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
BA Literature and Creative Writing
All writers are first of all readers and all readers are writers, for without the active participation of readers a book is never fully realised. Our BA Literature and Creative Writing offers a unique approach to the practice of reading and writing, combining more familiar British and American perspectives and readings with other influential schools of writing, from the study of tradition and myth to the innovative practice of the Workshop of Potential Literature or Oulipo in France.
You deepen your knowledge of literary tradition across a variety of genres in order to develop your practical skills of understanding, expression and invention. Pursue your love of reading and explore some of the most important novels, poems, and plays from the United States, the Caribbean and Europe while developing your own writing through a variety of planned readings and writing exercises. We'll teach you to be your own editor; critically judging your own and others' work is invaluable in transforming your work from something good to something great.
At the beginning of your course, you receive a highly focused introduction to the study of literature alongside intensive modules in creative writing, covering myth, innovation and tradition, prose, and poetry. A module on writing for radio allows you to go into a studio and record a radio play. You then progress to look at a range of specialist topics such as:
- Experimental writing and surrealism
- Myth and fairytale
- Translating novels for the screen
- American literature
- Shakespeare
- Science fiction
Our course develops your abilities as a reader and writer while allowing you to take options from the other courses within ourDepartment of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studiesincluding filmmaking, journalism and drama.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
Year 1
- Origins and Transformations in Literature and Drama
- The Writer's Toolkit
- Text Up Close: Reading for Criticism
- Poetry: A Very Short Introduction
- The Humanities Graduate: Future Pathways
Year 2
- Creative Non-Fiction
- Writing the Short Story
- Writing Structures
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Many of our creative writing students have gone on to successfully publish their work, notable recent alumni including:
- Ida Løkås, who won a major literary prize in Norway forThe Beauty That Flows Past, securing a book deal
- Alexia Casale, whose novelBone Dragonwas published by Faber & Faber and subsequently featured on both theYoung Adult Books of the Year 2013list forThe Financial Times, andThe Independent'sBooks of the year 2013: Children
- Elaine Ewert, recent graduate from our MA Wild Writing, placed second in the New Welsh Writing Awards 2015
- Patricia Borlenghi, the founder ofPatrician Press, which has published works by a number of our alumni
- Petra Mcqueen, who has written forThe Guardianand runs creative writing courses
Our graduates are also ideally prepared for careers in the media, education, publishing, advertising, and the film and theatre industries. Two particular areas in which our recent graduates have had recent success are publishing and the theatre. One of our former students is now in charge of editorial at a large publishing house, and another has just taken over running one of the country's major theatres.
Program delivery
BA Literature and Creative Writing: 3 years
BA Literature and Creative Writing (Including Year Abroad): 4 years
BA Literature and Creative Writing (Including Placement Year): 4 years
- Guided creative writing exercises
- Workshopping your writing
- Critical analysis of how a novel is built
- Literature modules will involve lectures and seminars to discuss texts
- Innovative ways of engaging with texts include editing 16th century sonnets and conducting archival research