Why study this course

Our dynamic, flexible degree programme allows you to study literature from different periods and cultures, and across the range of principal literary genres. You will not be restricted to studying the printed word: we are intrigued by the connections between literature and film, art, history, technology, language, and everyday life, and our teaching reflects these interests. You will learn how literature addresses social, environmental, and economic concerns with the aim of creating a better, more inclusive world and developing sustainable solutions for the future of the planet.

The Creative Writing element of the programme provides you with the opportunity to progress from introductory modules on reading and writing creatively to specialised work within specific forms and genres such as fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction and scriptwriting, culminating in the production of an extended collection of creative work.

Throughout the programme you will be encouraged to stretch yourself intellectually and imaginatively by exploring literature as both a creative practitioner and a critic. Our approach will help you develop an understanding of the creative process, as well as enhancing your knowledge of genre, literary history, and the varied and dynamic academic field which is English Literature.

You will focus on becoming a careful, attentive, and informed reader and writer, sensitive to the nuances of language and style and able to produce polished and sophisticated creative work.

You join a friendly and supportive environment with an international reputation for both teaching and research. Our talented Creative Writing team regularly scoop national and international awards, and collectively share experience in theatre, television and film. Our public platforms Cardiff BookTalk and Cardiff Poetry Experiment are popular and hugely engaging.

Learning and assessment

Throughout the degree, our research-led teaching will support you to become independent, creative, and critical in your responses to literature and other forms of culture, such as film, art, and photography.

First-year teaching provides a foundation with carefully structured lectures and seminar discussions to help you develop key skills and gain confidence at university. In English Literature, teaching in Years 2 and 3 is lecture- and seminar-based and moves gradually in the direction of specialisation and independent research as you develop as a reader and critic. In Creative Writing the teaching takes the form of workshops based on peer-review of student writing. In this supportive environment you will develop your abilities to analyse texts and arguments, collaboratively work through problems, construct your own arguments, and present your ideas and your creative writing clearly to others.

Throughout the programme, but particularly in the final-year core English Literature module, you will develop skills in communication and collaboration that you can transfer to the world of employment. In the final-year Creative Writing Project core module, you will produce a substantial, independently researched, and original portfolio of creative work, in the field of fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, playwriting, or screenwriting. This portfolio includes a critical commentary on the work and is produced under the guidance of a member of staff.