Black British Literature

This Masters degree is a world first. Co-founded by Professor Deirdre Osborne and Professor Joan Anim-Addo, the MA traces diasporic and aesthetic routes, and draws upon the expertise of literary and drama specialists.

- Launched in 2015, this ground-breaking MA is timely and necessary. We take Black British literature seriously as a discipline.

- There’s nowhere else you can study Black British writing in such an in-depth way – in the actual country where the writing is produced.

- You’ll analyse an extremely diverse range of texts from novelists, poets, short story writers, essayists, life-writers and playwrights. You’ll also locate these writers in their historical context, gaining an understanding of the history of Black people in Britain through how they are represented in literature.

- We welcome applications from those seeking academic careers, teachers looking to decolonise their curriculum, professionals who are returning to learning, and performers and artists who wish to develop their analytic and critical thinking skills.

- Based in London you have access to all the resources the city offers including the Black Cultural Archives London, the Black Plays Archive at the Royal National Theatre, the National Archives, The British Library, George Padmore Institute as part of fieldwork tasks and further research.

Black people continue to be massively underrepresented in academia. Literature written by Black authors is often missing from university course lists. The Black British Literature Masters is a vital step in increasing intellectual awareness of, and amplifying these Black British voices. In studying this Masters, you will become part of this process. It is a decolonised degree in action.