English Literature

At Brighton, our English Literature degree offers a fresh, modern approach while honouring the rich history of writing.

You will dive into classic topics like Shakespeare and Victorian sexualities, but also explore contemporary issues like Black British literature, identity, and diversity. Our course takes a multidisciplinary, decolonised approach, connecting literature to philosophy, art history, to media, and making it relevant to today’s world.

You will have the freedom to explore your literary passions, from poetry and novels to comics, gaming, and social media, with opportunities for placements and live projects.
At the end of year 1 you can choose a specialist pathway or carry on with the broader English Literature degree.

• English Literature with Sexuality and Gender BA(Hons)

• English Literature with Comics and Graphic Novels BA(Hons)

Both of these pathways are new for 2025 and in the final stages of development.

Our graduates leave us with vital employability skills in critical thinking, project management, and communication.

TOP REASONS TO CHOOSE THIS COURSE

• Staff are active researchers and writers who bring their expertise to your learning.

• Option modules in the second and third years enable you to tailor your degree to your specific career ambitions.

• Scrivener talks give you the chance to speak to a professional writer about their work.

• Extracurricular activities such as the Performance and Community Research and Enterprise Group and the student-led Creative Writing Society.

• Our focus on employability, including a placement, ensures you will graduate with a strong skill set.

• Develop valuable transferable skills as a critical thinker, independent researcher with excellent presentation, written and oral communication skills.

• Excellent student support and a warm and encouraging community.

• Weekly roundup of writing competitions and opportunities to encourage you to promote your work and consider future careers.

• Professional feedback on any aspect of your writing from our resident Royal Literary Fund Fellow.

Year 1
Textual Encounters: Reading, Writing, Thinking
Empire and Revolution
Poetry-Politics-Protest
Introducing Research
The World, the Text and the Critic
Literary Histories of Cultures and Identities

Year 2
Women’s Writing and Feminist Theory
Comics, Cultures and Societies
Queer Writing
From Postcolonial to Black British Literature
Cultures of Modernities
Research: Special Topic
Gender: Texts and Concepts
Image and Text: The Language of Comics and Graphic Novels

Options*
Children’s Literature and Culture
Transforming Texts
Professional Practice and Placement
Literature and Art History

Optional Placement Year

Final Year
Literature and the Global Contemporary
Literature and Social Change
English Literature Dissertation
Comics and Graphic Novels Dissertation
Sexuality and Gender Dissertation

Options*
Conflict, Migration, Borders
Gothic Texts and Contexts
(Re)viewing Shakespeare
Victorian Sexualities

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.