Creative Writing and English Literature

Overview

Studying Creative Writing and English Literature at Worcester allows you to develop your skills as a writer while exploring literature from the sixteenth century to the present day. You'll explore how literature reflects, challenges, and influences society, analysing the techniques and approaches used by a range of authors whilst applying them to your own creative work.

The majority of your learning will take place in small group seminars, meaning you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know your fellow students through close-reading activities and writing workshops. From your very first week, you’ll be able to network and continue doing so throughout your degree.

You will also have the opportunity to participate in local and regional literature festivals, attend book discussions and open mic nights, and engage with Worcester’s vibrant literary community. You may also represent the University at national events such as UniSlam and take part in the Verve Poetry Festival. These experiences will support your creative development and help you build professional networks across the country.

In your final year, you will undertake either a creative writing project or a literary dissertation, allowing you to take your interests further with a topic or genre of your choice. Our students have received recognition for the quality of their writing, with Creative Writing projects eligible for the Black Pear Press Prize for Fiction and the V. Press Prize for Poetry, and Literature dissertations considered for the Early Modern Research Group Prize for Interdisciplinary Research.

You’ll study in – and explore the literary heritage of – an ancient Cathedral city steeped in history, having been the location of the final battle of the English Civil War. Our students benefit from research trips to the Cathedral Library, with its priceless collection of rare books and manuscripts, as well as the twelve miles of archives stored within our University library, The Hive.

Key features

• Stand out with opportunities to win prizes such as the Black Pear Press prize for fiction, the V. press prize for poetry and the Early Modern Research Group prize.

• Opportunities to play an active role in local and regional literature festivals, related events and a work project module.

• Study diverse literatures emanating from the sixteenth through to present day – and encompassing both ‘canonical’ and ‘marginal’ texts

• Take part in regular open mic nights, hosted either by the University or Worcester's welcoming and vibrant writing community.

• Experience in writing for a range of digital, print, audio, visual and performance platforms.

Why the University of Worcester?

The University of Worcester is a campus university, meaning everything you need is on site. We’re based in a vibrant cathedral city just 40 mins south of Birmingham and an hour north of Bristol, and our beautiful green campuses have plenty of parking and quality on-site accommodation.

At Worcester, small class sizes, supportive tutors, and professionally focused courses mean you’ll be prepared for your dream career. These are just some of the reasons why we’re first in the UK for both graduate employment and quality education.

• University of the Year finalist in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025.
• First in the UK for sustained employment, further study or both, from any multidisciplinary university – Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) 2017 to 2025.
• First in the UK for quality education – Joint 1st in the Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings 2025.

Join us at one of our regular Open Days to see if the University is a good fit for you: www.worcester.ac.uk/opendays