English Literature and Creative Writing

English literature and creative writing is a programme that treats reading and writing as two aspects of the same fundamental engagement with language and storytelling. Literary study trains you to read with precision and depth, to analyse how texts work and why they matter, and to situate writing within the historical, social, and cultural contexts that have shaped it. Creative writing asks you to develop your own practice across a range of forms, applying the lessons of your literary reading to the challenges of making something new.

Each activity enriches the other: writers become better readers, and readers become more attuned to the choices writers make.

At the University of Surrey, this three-year full-time programme places you within a community of literary and cultural scholars, writers, and creative practitioners, developing your skills in both critical analysis and creative production. You will explore literature across genres, periods, and traditions, studying the opportunities and challenges of both critical and creative expression. Surrey's English programme reflects the university's broader commitment to combining intellectual rigour with real-world relevance, and the creative writing strand gives you the opportunity to develop a personal voice and a portfolio of work alongside your academic study.

Surrey's location in Guildford, between London and the wider South East, gives you access to a rich cultural landscape, and the university has connections with publishing, media, and creative industries in the region and in the capital.

Graduates work in publishing, journalism, education, content writing, broadcasting, public relations, arts administration, and the full range of professions where the ability to write well and read analytically is valued. Many also develop their creative writing practice alongside other careers, and the combination of literary knowledge and writing skill is increasingly sought in digital content, communications, and media. Postgraduate study in creative writing, English literature, or publishing is a natural next step for those who wish to develop their expertise further.