Creative Writing and English Literature

Creative writing and English literature together make one of the most rewarding combinations in the humanities, developing both the craft of writing and the critical understanding of literary tradition that informs and enriches it. At Liverpool Hope University, the BA Creative Writing and English Literature with Foundation Year is a four-year full-time programme that begins with a foundation year, includes a sandwich year and a year abroad, and has work placement built in, making it one of the most experientially comprehensive versions of this combination available. Liverpool, as the programme notes, is a city of poets and storytellers with a distinctive literary culture, and you will be taught by writers and academics who are connected to that tradition.

The creative writing strand develops your practice as a writer across multiple forms: fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, and creative non-fiction are all explored, with workshops at the centre of the teaching model. Writing workshops, in which work is shared, discussed, and responded to by peers and tutors, are the primary environment in which craft is developed, and they build both your writing ability and your capacity for critical reflection on your own and others' work. The English literature strand develops your skills in reading, analysis, and interpretation across periods, traditions, and genres, giving you the critical and historical context within which your own writing practice is situated.

The two strands reinforce each other continuously: reading writers with attention to their craft deepens your understanding of what writing can do, while your own creative practice sharpens your reading of other writers' choices.

Graduates of creative writing and English literature programmes work in publishing, journalism, education, communications, arts administration, copywriting, and the creative industries. Some pursue writing careers directly, building their publication record and professional relationships with agents and editors over time. Others go on to postgraduate study including MFA programmes in creative writing, master's degrees in English literature, or teacher training.

The combination of creative confidence and analytical skill that the degree develops is valuable in any career that requires engaging imaginatively with language and audiences.