The School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing is famous for the quality and adventurousness of its teaching. It embraces several interlinked disciplines; for example, you can choose to study drama or creative writing alongside English and related literatures. The English Literature degree programme gives a rigorous grounding in writing from the medieval period to the present day – from the Arthurian Tradition via Shakespeare, Milton, Austen, the Brontës, Joyce, to novelists and poets who are still writing now – and it combines this with a range of innovative approaches and specialist topics.
The degree course is studied in an interdisciplinary atmosphere. Alongside specialists in English Literature, you will also work with teachers and students who are involved with Creative Writing, Drama, Philosophy, Modern Languages, American Studies, Film Studies, History and History of Art. The options system also allows you to explore one or other of these subjects yourself: in each of the three years, besides your options within the English syllabus, you can choose one module from another discipline, according to your own interests and aptitude.
The whole programme is based on the conviction that literature is not an abstract or unworldly pursuit, but something which happens in the real world. That is why we teach historically, so that literature is seen in larger contexts; and it is why we host regular extra-curricular visits by contemporary writers who read and discuss their work. We also emphasise making literature as well as studying it: there is the opportunity to extend your awareness of literature through your own writing. To facilitate all this we employ a variety of teaching strategies (small group seminars, larger-scale lectures, writing workshops, individual projects and dissertations). Assessment is carried out in each teaching module (either by coursework, assessed practical project or by occasional short exams) so that there are no ‘finals’.
