Course summary

Have you always wanted to be a writer? Have you got a story to tell but you don't know how to unlock it? Do you want to know more about the craft of writing? Do you want to learn how to read both as a critic and as a writer? If so, Birkbeck’s BA Creative Writing and English is the ideal degree for you. In the heart of literary London, in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group, you will study with leading academics and celebrated published authors across the fields of fiction, poetry and drama, including playwright David Eldridge (Beginning), screenwriter Daragh Carville (The Bay) and writer and critic Katherine Angel (Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again). You will also develop your knowledge and understanding of a wide range of literary writing in English, from earliest times to the present day. This creative writing and English degree culminates in the opportunity to develop both extended creative and critical pieces under the guidance of award-winning writers. If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. Highlights

• Birkbeck was ranked 2nd in the UK for its English Language and Literature research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

• Birkbeck is located in the heart of literary London, in Bloomsbury, WC1. You could be studying in a building that was once home to Virginia Woolf and frequented by members of the Bloomsbury Group. The building houses our own creative hub which includes the Peltz Gallery, the Gordon Square Cinema and a theatre and performance space.

• You will be eligible to submit work to the annual Birkbeck creative writing journal, The Mechanics’ Institute Review.

• author

• journalist

• higher education lecturer

• screenwriter.