English Literature and Creative Writing

Studying English Literature and Creative Writing in combination, allows you to develop your skills as a writer, whilst setting your own work and aspirations in the context of the wider literary world.

Our BA programme introduces you to a broad range of types and periods of literature, with a huge variety of different areas to pursue, from medieval literature to twenty-first-century digital literary culture. These include unparalleled resources for the study of Shakespeare, through our world-leading Shakespeare Institute.

You will be given a foundation in all main genres of creative writing: poetry, prose, drama and media writing. Alongside this, you will explore the professional aspects of contemporary writing and editing and will be supported in finding your own ‘voice’. You will be taught by award-winning writers and benefit from regular guest talks by visiting writers.

Why study this course?

Learn from bestselling authors and industry experts – including 2021 Forward Poetry Prize winner Professor Luke Kennard and one of Granta magazine’s 2023 best young novelists Dr Anna Metcalfe. 

Get on board with the bard - where better to study Shakespeare than in the town where he was born! Make use of our internationally renowned Shakespeare Institute based in Stratford-upon-Avon and collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company and take part in fun and interactive study trips, such as this writing workshop with Playwright Juliet Gilkes Romero on the RSC stage.

Personalise your degree - read and write about the writing and authors that mean most to you: our course gives you the option to study everything from Old English to last year's novels; you can also incorporate optional modules across a vast range of literary genres.

Go beyond the printed book - take advantage of the wide-ranging expertise within our academic community and explore the study of art, comics, film, marketing, music, social media, textual production, theatre, TV and video games.

Live and study in a city that values the written word as much as you do – explore our exceptional resources, including our Cadbury Research Library, consisting of over 200,000 rare books dating from 1471, as well as the Library of Birmingham, Europe’s largest regional library. Get involved with the numerous on-campus writers' groups, including our very own newspaper, radio and TV stations and delve into the various citywide literature festivals.

3rd for Creative Writing in the Guardian University Guide 2025

26th in the world for English Language and Literature (QS World Subject Rankings 2024)