English and Creative Writing

At the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University, we specialise in the development of writing talent across a wide range of established and new forms, from prose fiction, screenwriting, and poetry to digital art, spoken word and writing for computer games. You’ll be taught by writers who are experts in their field – award-winning poets, novelists, screenwriters and content creators. You will be a part of stimulating, vibrant, highly supportive culture.

By studying BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing you will develop a distinctive and powerful voice and will acquire a close understanding of the craft of writing. You will be challenged to work across a range of forms, to develop stories and creative projects across diverse media, and to take your work into the world.

You’ll analyse literature in all its forms, from the Renaissance to the present day, and consider literature’s relationships to film, art, and popular culture.

You will cultivate advanced creative and critical abilities, the capacity to self-motivate, collaborate, pitch ideas, develop complex multi-factor projects and transmit these to a range of audiences. Upon graduation you’ll have a desirable and highly flexible range of subject-specific and transferable skills – the key to a successful career and a lifetime of creativity.

Features and Benefits

• You’ll learn from the experience and expertise of a wide range of leading poets, novelists and scriptwriters based at The Manchester Writing School, one of the largest and most successful of its kind in the UK. Staff include award-winning poets and writers, including winners of the Costa First Novel Award, the Forward Prize and the Ted Hughes Award.

• We are a world-class English department — 70% of our research impact is rated as world-leading (REF21).

Ranked in the top 15 universities in the UK for creative writing (Good University Guide 2025).

• You’ll have access to the many conferences, readings, research programmes, festivals and competitions run by the department.

• Engage with the Manchester Children’s Book Festival, a year-long programme of events and activities.

• We’ll help you build your own network among our many partners within the creative and culturally rich city of Manchester, a UNESCO City of Literature.

• You can take the four-year route, spending a year studying abroad, or boost your career prospects with a placement in industry.