English and Creative Writing

English and creative writing is a degree that develops two complementary but distinct intellectual capacities: the ability to read literature with rigour and depth, and the ability to write with craft, intention, and originality. Literary study teaches you to understand how meaning is made in language, and how writers across different periods and traditions have responded to the worlds they inhabited. Creative writing puts that understanding to work, challenging you to make your own choices about form, voice, perspective, and structure.

At Royal Holloway, University of London, this three-year full-time degree brings together literary study and creative practice in a way that allows each to enrich the other. You will develop your voice as a writer across forms including fiction, poetry, and playwriting, learning from writers who are active practitioners in the field. Alongside this, you will study literature across a range of genres and periods, building the interpretive skills and cultural knowledge that inform serious creative work.

The degree includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you professional and international experience to complement your academic and creative development. These elements are particularly valuable in the creative industries and publishing sectors, where personal initiative, international perspective, and professional experience are all looked upon favourably.

You will develop a distinctive set of capabilities: the ability to read carefully, to write persuasively and inventively, to give and receive critical feedback, and to manage a creative project from conception to completion. These skills are transferable to a wide range of professions that depend on clear and creative communication.

Graduates from English and creative writing degrees work in publishing, journalism, advertising, public relations, arts administration, education, television and film production, digital media, and cultural organisations. Many also pursue writing careers alongside their professional work. Postgraduate study in creative writing, English literature, or publishing is a common route for those who wish to develop their practice or expertise further.