Creative Writing and English Literature

More than ever before, the world needs writers. People who can communicate ideas clearly, cleverly, and thoughtfully. Our BA in Creative Writing and English Literature offers a rich and distinctive academic experience resting on four key pillars: reading, writing, reflection, and rewriting. This single honours degree is designed to develop you as a writer, a critical thinker and an adaptable professional ready for a wide variety of careers.

Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula; You will also have the option of a semester in the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong or Singapore, further improving your student experience and career prospects.

At the heart of our programme is the belief that good writing begins with good reading. You will learn to read attentively and analytically through a variety of carefully selected English Literature modules and learn to analyse how texts influence subsequent generations of writers through innovative use of idea and style. This close reading practice directly informs the work in our Creative Writing modules, allowing you to experiment with techniques drawn from established writers while developing your own voice across a range of genres.

You will have the opportunity to produce original work in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting, and stage drama, guided by published writers with notable professional profiles. You will learn to reflect on our own work, developing the ability to assess its effectiveness and identify areas for growth, leading to a repeated process of returning to the text for rewriting. We treat rewriting as a core part of the creative process, redrafting work following of supportive and encouraging feedback from tutors and peers.

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: Fundamentals of Creative Writing I; Theorising Gothic Texts; Discovering Literature; Fundamentals of Creative Writing II; Approaches to Gender in English Literature.

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: Introduction to Writing Fiction; Fragments of Union: Literature, Nation and Ethnicity; Earthly Imaginaries: word and image in a time of climate crisis.

In Year 3, you will typically study areas including: The Creative Writing Personal Project.