English Literature & Creative Writing

Enable you to practice a variety of techniques for writing fiction and drama and reflect critically on your writing process Develop a critical and theoretical understanding of the ‘principles of story’ in historical and contemporary context Develop your ability to read, interpret and evaluate contemporary fiction and drama in light of the way it conforms to or challenges these principles Enable you to recognise the connections between fiction and drama as well as the unique challenges and possibilities of writing for page or performance.

This module focuses on exploring diverse genres while fostering imaginative engagement. You'll also develop critical analysis and writing skills, fostering an understanding of language use within various contexts and encouraging self-reflective growth as a writer.

This module will develop your global writing analysis skills, with the option of creating original creative work. You'll explore modern approaches to portraying landscapes across various genres. Theoretical aspects cover literature's connections to place, environmental concerns, and globalisation. You'll hone English language skills for academic writing and research, and gain insights into the publishing industry and opportunities.

The concepts and ideas within literature and text will be introduced in this module. You'll develop close reading skills and focus on the importance of interpretations sensitive to the role of context in all its forms. You will examine texts using a range of strategies to provide a useful introduction to the field of literacy theory.

This module will allow you to explore some of the key features of the period including the engagement with classic literature and myth. You will be encouraged to evaluate and analyse a range of Renaissance literature encompassing drama, poetry and non-fictional writing.

You will build on work undertaken in EN1215 Reading Texts, Literary Theory. You'll get the opportunity to develop the critical skills necessary for advanced undergraduate work. You'll become aware of a variety of critical approaches to the study of English Literature and the existence of a debate between and amongst these approaches.

Writing Adaptions introduces a range of genres, including literary and popular forms. You will examine the adaptations of an original text and evaluate similarities and differences. You will consider the extension, prequel, sequel, point of view, setting, period, and culture. You will reflect on your writing practice as well as your technical abilities.

To engage with and critique the theory and practice of writing short fiction. To practice the techniques of writing short fiction and writing about this form/genre. To develop a critical and theoretical understanding of the short story as a distinct form in historical and contemporary contexts and markets. To encourage critical reading, selectivity and focused consideration of short fiction writers and their potential influence on contemporary writing practice.

The module will introduce you to World Literature in translation and will consider the most important critical concepts for the practice of reading texts of this kind. The module will explore the role of languages, cultures and history in a global context as they inform the artistic productions of culturally diverse nations. It will involve detailed study of some highly distinctive cultural products and practices and will aim to challenge some ingrained cultural assumptions and presumptions about our ‘Others’ – those subjects most often represented ‘for’ us by writers from a similar background to our own. Ethical and political issues in the translation of certain languages into a hegemonic ‘world language’ such as English will be discussed with reference to critical concepts such as World literature and globalisation. Assessment is two essays.

This module will help you learn research skills alone and in groups, preparing you for careers and dissertation work. It will enhance your subject-specific knowledge and general skills while showcasing employability skills like planning, teamwork, and problem-solving.

This module will examine a selection of poems and novels from the late-eighteenth century through to the First World War. This will enhance your skills in assessing useful resources in print and digital formats.

You'll begin by examining audience and the different bands within children’s literature. Explore a range of techniques including voice, character, setting and structure, as well as how to write and critique specific sub-genres. Gain an understanding of the current trends, the relationship between words and images and issues such as appropriate language and subject matter, censorship and the gatekeepers who inform and shape what children read. 

This module will provide you with an exciting experience to revisit your favourite childhood tales. The major European collections of tales, such as those of Perrault, Grimm and Andersen, will provide the main focus of study, but non-European collections will also be considered.

On this module you'll be introduced to the 'graphic novel'. Emphasis will be placed on the close reading of these texts and the different aesthetic strategies used by these writers to develop a broad understanding of the genre. You'll also look at the criticisms of this genre, generating a critical framework for addressing the different aspects of its storytelling.

Our specific creative writing dissertation module will give you the chance to showcase all your skills that you have developed over the entirety of your course. You will produce an independent piece of work on your chosen genre by applying critical thinking to extensive research processes.

This module delves into a diverse array of prose, poetry, and drama forms, investigating techniques, historical context, and theories. Through reading, critiquing, and comparing examples, you'll analyse and debate contemporary issues and evolving trends in different genres. You'll also hone your technical and reflective writing skills to tailor language for different audiences and purposes.

This first part of this module takes in canonical texts from the modernist period, to ensure that you have an understanding of the work of major figures in early twentieth century literature. You will examine the cultural and historical contexts in which the texts are produced, focussing on formal innovation across different kinds of literature.

The English Literature Dissertation module allows you to pursue an independent area of scholarly research within the field of ‘Literature.’ The dissertation takes the form of an extended piece of written work (7500-10,000 words) on a topic chosen by you with approval of the dissertation tutor.

Explores the different forms and approaches that creative non-fiction can take including memoir, the lyric essay, travel writing, literary journalism and poetry. You'll be introduced to the theory and criticism of creative non-fiction. You'll experiment through practical writing exercises as well as develop your final idea through the process of workshopping. 

On this module you'll develop your knowledge and skills of writing for science fiction and fantasy. You'll gain a theoretical and historical understanding of the genres and how to critically approach texts. You will be expected to familiarise yourself with a range of critical material and different fantasy and science fiction short stories, and to show evidence of your understanding in class discussions and your written work.

This module aims to help you to evaluate the relationship between fictional and filmic texts. You will investigate the extent to which such texts are the product of social, political, cultural and generic contexts. This module will help with more opportunities to analysis different written assessments.

This module will introduce you to Gothic literature with diverse examples, improving analytical skills across media and deepening historical understanding. It refines research and writing by engaging with non-Eurocentric Gothic, postcolonial themes, and the Neo-Gothic's relevance.

This module studies how the legacies of European colonialism and imperialism have shaped our unequal, neo-colonial world. You'll investigate colonial ideology and history in texts and culture leading to the exploration of later postcolonial writing and culture. These cultural texts will be contextualised with important postcolonial theoretical concepts, such as ‘writing back,’ hybridity, the construction of race, intersectionality and diaspora.