Course summary

We’ll teach you how to analyse some of the most inspirational texts ever set to paper – and how to write them too. Combining the study of English literature with the craft of creative writing, you’ll learn how to read and write across genres, from fiction to creative non-fiction, and from poetry to screenwriting. Our English with Creative Writing BA offers you the chance to study English literature from its earliest forms through to the present day, and gives you the opportunity to hone your own creative writing skills. Leicester has a rich literary history and our library contains the personal archives of local authors Joe Orton and Sue Townsend. As well as our own experts, you’ll benefit from hearing from guest speakers - our Centre for New Writing also hosts an annual Creative Writing lecture, with previous visitors including Ben Okri, Laura Esquivel and Michael Morpurgo. On this course you will explore the full range of key creative writing themes and forms, from prose fiction to creative nonfiction (including autobiography, memoir and travel writing), and from poetry to screenwriting. You will perform your work in public and also write literary reviews, allowing you to learn the professional skills which will build your confidence for life after graduation. You will also come to understand the wider professional writing industries, which could include film, publishing, editing, performance, and literary events. While reading Wilde or Dickens, you will be composing your own prose narratives; while learning about life-writing you might be reading the autobiographies of Nabokov, Wright or Maya Angelou. Our dynamic and exciting course will immerse you in a great tradition, as both a reader and an active participant.