English Literature and Creative Writing

Why Lancaster?
- Receive editorial feedback from tutors who are celebrated authors, and also learn to give feedback on the work of fellow students.

- Enhance your writing through both text-based writing experiments and workshops focusing on your own writing

- Explore the professional dimensions of creative writing, such as reading or performing your work, publishing and marketing

- Get involved with our four student-run literary journals: Cake, Lux, Flash, and Errant

- Be inspired by our rich programme of literary events on campus, online, and in the city’s historic Castle Quarter

Lancaster was one of the very first universities to teach creative writing. Today we continue to lead the way in the discipline with our celebrated novelists, poets and playwrights.

From poetry to digital media
Creative Writing at Lancaster began in 1970, with a radical move to student-centred learning. This emphasis continues so that the focus in all your creative modules will be on developing your own writing.

You’ll pick from a wide range of modules and spend half your time on creative writing. You’ll explore traditional forms such as the short story, the novel, poetry, or theatre, as well as non-traditional forms such as digital media, life-writing, fantasy, rom-com, place-writing, and writing for young adults.

Supportive community
Your lectures will be supplemented by regular small-group workshops, and we encourage you to meet one-to-one with your tutor to discuss your work. You will also have an academic advisor who will provide one-to-one advice.

Many of our evening literary events, such as readings by visiting authors, take place close to the campus in historic Lancaster. Some modules involve fieldwork, for example, at Lancaster’s Duke’s Theatre and in the Lake District.

You may be able to go on one of Lancaster University's short-study trips - popular destinations previously have included New York and Boston.