Creative Writing and English Literature

Important: This course will be taught at our Holloway campus from early 2026

Why study this course?

Study on a degree that combines theoretical study with the development of your own creative voice as a writer. Taught by experienced poets and novelists, you'll increase your understanding of literature through the study of the historical and contemporary genres in national and international contexts. Publishing, the arts, education, communications and business sectors are just a few of the areas open to you after graduation.

More about this course

This combined degree in Creative Writing and English Literature gives budding writers the best of both worlds. You may want to be a performance poet, adapt a work of literature for the screen or stage, think about literature from a philosophical perspective or find out more about the publishing industry. The blend of modules on this course makes all of these goals achievable.

The English Literature modules cover all the major genres of poetry, drama and prose, which helps you gain an understanding of their development through history. You’ll study major literary and cultural movements such as romanticism and modernism, and will have the opportunity to choose niche specialisms such as the literature of childhood or the literature of London.

On the Creative Writing modules, you’ll learn how to edit your work and develop your writing across literary and commercial genres as well as developing the ability to think critically about the cultural, ethical and political dimensions of writing. The skills you'll gain by editing and critiquing your own work will be valuable when working on essays in other areas.

You'll benefit from our exceptional facilities and have the resources of the British Library at your fingertips. London is a vast hub of literary and cultural history, and you will benefit from organised visits to theatres, galleries, libraries, archives and events, giving context and support to your studies.

You'll be taught by experienced academics who are dedicated to undergraduate teaching, as well as published poets, novelists and dramatists, whose knowledge of the publishing industry can give you the valuable professional insight needed to kick-start your career. Staff are dedicated to helping you get the most out of your degree and the enthusiastic, high quality teaching on this course has been highly rated by students.

After you graduate you will be an excellent candidate for a career in publishing, the creative and cultural industries, the arts, education and the communications sector.

What our students say

“The lecturers and tutors have all been enthusiastic in both subjects and for the institution they are teaching in. The course has introduced me to works I would have otherwise not known and opened my mind to new areas in literature. The partnership between English Literature and Creative Writing has created interesting opportunities to explore my own creative writing.”

Former student, National Student Survey