English and Creative Writing

English and creative writing is a combination that brings together the academic study of literature with the practice of writing it. English literature develops your ability to read with care, think critically and engage with the full range of written forms across different periods and traditions. Creative writing asks you to apply that reading and critical thinking in your own work, developing a voice and craft across prose, poetry, screenwriting, digital forms and other genres.

The two disciplines are deeply complementary: the analytical skills of literary study make you a more conscious and precise writer, and the practice of writing makes you a more attentive reader.

At Manchester Metropolitan University, this three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year in professional placement and a work placement, and is delivered through the Manchester Writing School, one of the UK's leading centres for creative writing education. You will be taught by award-winning writers who are experts in their fields, including novelists, poets, screenwriters and content creators. The programme covers a wide range of established and emerging forms, from prose fiction and poetry to digital art, spoken word and writing for games and interactive media.

You will work within a vibrant and supportive creative community that takes both the literary tradition and contemporary creative practice seriously.

Graduates from English and creative writing programmes pursue careers as writers, journalists, editors, teachers, content creators, screenwriters, publishers, communications professionals and arts administrators. Many develop careers across the creative industries while also pursuing their own writing practice. The research, analytical and communication skills developed through the English component are also highly valued in public relations, marketing, policy and the civil service.

Postgraduate study in creative writing, English literature or publishing is a natural next step for those who want to develop their practice or pursue academic careers in the field.