university of kent creative writing staff

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Creative Writing

Entry requirements.

A first or second class honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent), or substantial creative writing experience. You are required to submit a sample of your creative writing, and this will be the most significant factor in admissions decisions. Applicants may be called to interview.

Writing Sample

A piece or portfolio of creative work should be uploaded on the ‘Declaration’ page of the online application form. If fiction, this should be around 1,500–2,000 words; if poetry, approximately four pages.

On the ‘Course Details’ page, you should submit a description of around 300 words of your creative writing plans. Please tell us whether you intend to work in fiction, poetry, or narrative non-fiction and what experience you have working in this form. Please also give some indication of the concerns, style, ideas and/or themes that you are interested in exploring in your work.

Request for consideration on the grounds of equivalent professional status

Candidates who hold no first degree, or a first degree in a non-literary/creative subject area should include in their applications a summary of any information that might allow us to support the application on the grounds of ‘equivalent professional status’. This could include previous writing publication credits or other successes and/or relevant professional achievements.

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications.

Months of entry

Course content.

Designed with serious, ambitious writers in mind, this innovative and interdisciplinary MA programme combines taught modules and a dissertation, offering you the opportunity to study fiction and poetry (exclusively or together) along with optional modules in translation and narrative non-fiction.

You are taught exclusively by members of the permanent creative writing team, all of whom are practising, award-winning writers: David Flusfeder, Nancy Gaffield, Dorothy Lehane, Kat Peddie, Eleanor Perry, Amy Sackville, Simon Smith, Scarlett Thomas, Dragan Todorovic and Evie Wyld (See staff research interests for further details).

The Creative Writing MA can also be studied at our Paris centre or with your year shared between Canterbury and Paris .

Information for international students

Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Please note that international fee-paying students cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.

English language entry requirements

The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.

For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages.

Need help with English?

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways .

Fees and funding

For further information about funding, including scholarships, please visit our funding web pages .

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

• Campus-based learning is available for this qualification

Course contact details

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English Literature and Creative Writing BA (Hons) University of Kent

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Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

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Course summary

We do not have exams, and our coursework often goes beyond the standard essay or dissertation. This way you are assessed by your best work. •

Our course covers a variety of genres. Whether you love Jane Austen or William Shakespeare, dystopian fiction, the gothic or modern and contemporary poetry, we specialise in the literature you are passionate about. •

Creativity is at the heart of everything we do. Shape your degree according to your interests; you might make a documentary film, script a video game, assemble a journal, compose a collection of poetry, write a novella or plan and pitch an exhibition. •

Our city is steeped in literary traditions from Chaucer to Marlowe and Dickens. In the heart of Kent, you can travel to London in under an hour by train, and beautiful beaches and historic woodlands are within easy reach from campus. •

Our staff are industry professionals and encourage you to engage with new and inspiring work. You'll discover how literature tackles challenges such as immigration, climate change, racial inequality, and women’s rights using the power of the written word.

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University of Kent, Recruitment and Admissions Office, Registry, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, England

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Creative Writing

Designed with serious, ambitious writers in mind, this innovative and interdisciplinary Creative Writing MA combines taught modules and a dissertation. Your studies take place at Kent's Paris School of Arts and Culture.

Key information

• Duration 1 to 3 years
• Start date September, January
• Location Paris

Through seminars, tutorials, workshops, and precise editing, you will learn to take control of your own work and write exciting, contemporary material.

Alongside your creative writing modules, you are encouraged to consider choosing modules from the broad range of options offered at our Paris School of Arts and Culture. This programme offers students a unique opportunity to find inspiration both in and out of the classroom and to develop a creative voice in the stimulating surroundings of Montparnasse.

You can choose to begin your studies in September or January and can take a standard (90 ECTS) or an extended (120 ECTS) version of the programme. Part-time study is only available for EU/EEA passport holders, and for those who have the right to remain in France for the duration of their degree.

Studying at the Paris School of Arts and Culture

You spend the entire year at Kent’s Paris School of Arts and Culture where you study at the Columbia Global Center (known as Reid Hall), which is located in a historic corner of Montparnasse in the heart of Paris. At this specialist, postgraduate centre, we offer interdisciplinary, flexible programmes, taught in English, which take full advantage of all the cultural resources Paris offers. Study trips to the city’s museums, art exhibitions, archives, cinemas and architectural riches are an integral part of your studies.

The interdisciplinary nature of the School means you can choose modules from outside your subject area, broadening your view of your subject. As part of our international community of students and staff, you can take part in regular seminars and talks, write for the student-run literary magazine or help to organise our annual student conference.

The Creative Writing MA is also available at our Canterbury campus or split between Canterbury and Paris .

About the School of English

The School of English has a strong international reputation and global perspective, apparent both in the background of its staff and in the diversity of our teaching and research interests.

Our expertise ranges from the medieval to the postmodern, including British, American and Irish literature, postcolonial writing, 18th-century studies, Shakespeare, early modern literature and culture, Victorian studies, modern poetry, critical theory and cultural history. The international standing of the School ensures that we have a lively, confident research culture, sustained by a vibrant, ambitious intellectual community. We also count a number of distinguished creative writers among our staff, and we actively explore crossovers between critical and creative writing in all our areas of teaching and research.

The Research Excellence Framework 2021 has produced very strong results for the School of English at Kent. With 100% of its research environment and 100% of its research impact judged to be ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. The Times Higher Education has ranked English at Kent in the UK top 20 in its subject league table, out of 92 universities. (Times Higher Education). As scholars and creative practitioners, academic staff in the School of English are national and international leaders in their fields. The expert panel judged 93% of its research overall and just under 90% of its research outputs, as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’.

Everything you need to know about our Creative Writing course

Entry requirements, course structure, how you'll study.

A first or second class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, or substantial creative writing experience. You are required to submit a sample of your creative writing, and this will be the most significant factor in admissions decisions. Applicants may be invited to an interview.

Writing sample

A piece or portfolio of creative work should be uploaded on the ‘Declaration’ page of the online application form. If fiction, this should be around 1,500–2,000 words; if poetry, approximately four pages. This should be written in English, and should be a recent sample where possible. 

We're looking for ambition and originality, and a firm grasp of the form in which you're working and its essential elements (e.g. structure, characterisation, theme, effective imagery, appropriate choice of form, clarity and originality of concept and language). We will read this sample to ensure that you have the necessary experience and grounding in writing craft to undertake MA study. 

On the ‘Course Details’ page, you should submit a description of around 300 words of your creative writing plans. Please tell us whether you intend to work in fiction, poetry, or narrative non-fiction and what experience you have working in this form. Please also give some indication of the concerns, style, ideas and/or themes that you are interested in exploring in your work.

Request for consideration on the grounds of equivalent professional status

Candidates who hold no first degree, or a first degree in a non-literary/creative subject area should include in their applications a summary of any information that might allow us to support the application on the grounds of ‘equivalent professional status’. This could include previous writing publication credits or other successes and/or relevant professional achievements.

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications. 

Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country  and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

This course requires an Excellent level of English language, equivalent to C1 on CEFR.  

Details on how to meet this requirement can be found on our  English Language requirements webpage . 

Examples:  

IELTS 7.0 with a minimum of 7.0 in each component 

PTE Academic 76 with a minimum of 76 in each sub-test 

A degree from the UK 

A degree from a Majority English Speaking Country 

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

Optional modules

EN921 - Fiction (Paris) (30 credits)

EN899 – Paris: Portfolio (30 credits)

EN919 – Paris: Psychogeography (30 credits)

EN920 – Paris Workshop (30 credits)

Compulsory modules currently include

EN997 - Dissertation: Creative Writing (60 credits)

There is also an indicative list of modules you may be able to study in Paris .

Duration: 1 to 3 years depending on options taken

You take two modules in each of the first two terms and a Creative Writing Dissertation in the third (90 ECTS), or two modules in each of the first three terms and Creative Writing Dissertation in the fourth (120 ECTS).

You are required to take at least one Creative Writing module in each term, choosing from Fiction (Paris) or Paris: Psychogeography in the autumn term and Paris Workshop or Paris: Portfolio in the spring. For the remaining modules you will choose from the range on offer in Paris. While in Paris, you are encouraged to attend readings and talks, and to organise your own writing workshops.

For further information about these modules, and the University of Kent, Paris, please see www.kent.ac.uk/paris/

Teaching and assessment

You take a total of four modules, for which you will produce approximately 5,000 words each (or an equivalent number of poems or translations). In addition, you write a creative dissertation of about 12,000 words (or an equivalent number of poems or translations).

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

• provide you with the opportunity to obtain a postgraduate qualification (MA) in one year, and to allow you, if required, a smooth transition to doctoral studies
• give you the breadth of experience of studying creative writing modules in Paris.
• extend and deepen your understanding of your own writing practice through coursework and research
• enable you to develop an historical awareness of literary and creative writing traditions, particularly those that have been located in, or in some other way focussed on, Paris
• develop your independent critical thinking and judgement
• develop your independent creative thinking and practice
• develop your knowledge and understanding of relevant aspects of contemporary Paris and the literary history of the city with a view to you incorporating some of these aspects into your own creative and critical writing
• develop your understanding and critical appreciation of the expressive resources of language
• enable you to make connections across your various modules and transfer knowledge between modules
• provide you with teaching, workshops and other learning opportunities that are informed by current research and practice and that require you to engage with aspects of work and practice at the frontiers of knowledge.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding.

You will gain knowledge and understanding of:

• key texts from contemporary British, American, postcolonial and world literatures
• the main aspects of literary techniques and theory in fiction, poetry, and/or hybrid forms, including point of view, form, style, voice, characterisation, structure and theme
• key literary traditions and movements, both contemporary and historical
• the cultural history of modern Paris, as reflected in art and literature
• terminology used in literary criticism
• terminology used in creative practice
• the cultural and historical contexts in which literature is written, published and read
• critical theory and its applications to both reading and writing
• the study and creation of the ‘text’ and how this is influenced by cultural factors
• inter- and multidisciplinary approaches to the advanced practice of creative and critical writing
• research methods.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in:

• the application of the skills needed for advanced academic study and enquiry
• the evaluation of your research findings
• the ability to synthesise information from a number of sources in order to gain a coherent understanding of theory and/or practice
• the ability to make discriminations and selections of relevant information from a wide source and large body of knowledge
• exercise of problem-solving skills
• communication of complex ideas in prose, poetry or both
• adaptation skills: learn to work in different environments by adapting to the educational, cultural and professional environments of England and France, while adopting an interdisciplinary approach to literary and creative studies.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in:

• advanced creative writing skills in prose, poetry or both.
• the ability to produce work with ambition, depth, intellectual structure, sophistication, scope, independence and importance
• the ability to sustain a piece of creative work and make choices about form, content and style
• an understanding of a ‘whole’ in creative practice (whether this is a novel, a collection of poems or short stories or some other advanced project)
• the ability to present creative writing professionally, both orally and in writing, demonstrating an awareness and understanding of current practice
• advanced understanding of literary themes
• enhanced skills in the close critical analysis of literary and other texts
• informed critical understanding of the variety of critical and theoretical approaches to the study of texts and source materials
• an ability to articulate knowledge and understanding of texts, concepts and theories relating to advanced English or cultural studies
• well-developed linguistic skills, including a grasp of standard critical terminology
• appropriate scholarly practice in the presentation of formal written work
• an understanding of how cultural norms and assumptions influence questions of judgement
• knowledge of French and European culture and literature
• knowledge of the cultural development of modern Paris, as expressed in literature, art and creative writing practice.

Transferable skills

You will gain the following transferable skills:

• advanced skills in communication, in speech and writing
• the ability to offer and receive constructive criticism
• the capacity to argue a point of view, orally and in written form, with clarity, organisation and cogency
• enhanced confidence in the efficient presentation of ideas
• the ability to assimilate, organise and work with substantial quantities of complex information
• competence in the planning and execution of coursework
• the capacity for independent thought, reasoned judgement, and self-criticism
• enhanced skills in collaborative intellectual and creative work
• the ability to understand, interrogate and apply a variety of theoretical and/or creative positions and weigh the importance of alternative approaches
• research skills, including scholarly information retrieval skills
• IT: word-processing, the ability to access electronic data and the ability to work efficiently and effectively in an online learning environment
• living and working in diverse cultural environments: You will participate and work in academic communities in Paris. You will thus develop cultural knowledge and understanding, flexibility, imagination, resourcefulness and tolerance.

Study support

Postgraduate resources.

In Paris, you are encouraged to make full use of the city's cultural resources and to integrate that experience into your studies. The Louvre, Centre Pompidou, Musée d’Orsay, Musée d’Arte Moderne, Grand Palais and other world-class museums and exhibition spaces are on your doorstep.

In addition, you benefit from borrowing rights at the libraries of the University of Paris VII, which have viewing facilities and holdings of films, books and periodicals in English. Other Paris libraries with extensive relevant holdings include the French National Library, the Centre Georges Pompidou Public Library and the American Library in Paris, to which you are given access and a guided visit.

Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. They also edit several periodicals including: Angelaki: Journal of the Theoretical Humanities ; The Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature: 600-1500 ; The Dickensian; Literature Compass ; Oxford Literary Review ; Theatre Notebook and Wasafiri .

Global Skills Award

All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our  Global Skills Award Programme . The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.

Research in the School of English comes roughly under the following areas. However, there is often a degree of overlap between groups, and individual staff have interests that range more widely.

The Centre for Creative Writing is the focus for most practice-based research in the School. Staff organise a thriving series of events and run a research seminar for postgraduate students and staff to share ideas about fiction-writing. Established writers regularly come to read and discuss their work.

Eighteenth Century

The particular interests of the Centre for Studies in the Long Eighteenth Century converge around gender, class, nation, travel and empire, and the relationship between print and material culture. Staff in the Centre pursue cutting-edge approaches to the field and share a commitment to interdisciplinary methodologies. The Centre regularly hosts visiting speakers as part of the School of English research seminar programme, and hosts day symposia, workshops and international conferences.

Nineteenth Century

The recently established Centre for Victorian Literature and Culture provides a stimulating and distinctive research environment for staff and students through seminars, conferences and collaborative research projects. The MA in Dickens and Victorian Culture is the only MA of its kind in the UK, and both the MA and the Centre places a particular emphasis on Victorian literature and culture associated with Kent and the south-east.

American Literature

Research in north American literature is conducted partly through the Faculty-based Centre for American Studies, which also facilitates co-operation with modern US historians. Staff research interests include 20th-century American literature, especially poetry, Native American writing, modernism, and cultural history.

Medieval and Early Modern

The Faculty-based Canterbury Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Studies has a distinctive brand of interdisciplinarity, strong links with local archives and archaeological trusts, and provides a vibrant forum for investigating the relationships between literary and non-literary modes of writing in its weekly research seminar.

Modern Poetry

The Centre for Modern Poetry is a leading centre for research and publication in its field, and participates in both critical and creative research. Staff regularly host visiting speakers and writers, participate in national and international research networks, and organise graduate research seminars and public poetry readings.

Postcolonial

Established in 1994, the Centre for Colonial and Postcolonial Research has acquired an international reputation for excellence in research. It has an outstanding track record in publication, organises frequent international conferences, and regularly hosts leading postcolonial writers and critics. It also hosts a visiting writer from India every year in association with the Charles Wallace Trust.

Staff research interests

Full details of staff research interests can be found on the School's website .

Many career paths can benefit from the writing and analytical skills that you develop as a postgraduate student in the School of English. Our students have gone on to work in academia, journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching; as well as more general areas such as banking, marketing analysis and project management.

January entry

The annual tuition fees for students starting this course in January 2024 can be found on the  Student Finance page .

The 2024/25 annual tuition fees for this course are:

• Creative Writing (90 ECTS) - MA at Paris
• Creative Writing (120 ECTS) - MA at Paris

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide .

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact [email protected] .

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from  UKCISA  before applying.

General information

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

Additional costs

General additional costs.

Find out more about  general additional costs  that you may pay when studying at Kent. 

Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:

• University and external funds
• Scholarships specific to the academic school delivering this programme.

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

Ready to apply?

Learn more about the  application process  or begin your application by clicking on a link below.

You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.

• Creative Writing (90 ECTS) - Full-time - MA at Paris
• Creative Writing (90 ECTS) - Part-time - MA at Paris
• Creative Writing (120 ECTS) - Full-time - MA at Paris
• Creative Writing (120 ECTS) - Part-time - MA at Paris

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Our friendly team is on hand to help you with any queries you have.

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It’s easy to study on or off campus at Kent – discover what is right for you.

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Creative Writing - MA (Paris)

University of kent, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, university information, similar courses at this uni, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Creative Writing

Course type

Designed with serious, ambitious writers in mind, this innovative and interdisciplinary Creative Writing MA combines taught modules and a dissertation. Your studies take place at Kent's Paris School of Arts and Culture.

Through seminars, tutorials, workshops, and precise editing, you will learn to take control of your own work and write exciting, contemporary material.

Alongside your creative writing modules, you are encouraged to consider choosing modules from the broad range of options offered at our Paris School of Arts and Culture. This programme offers students a unique opportunity to find inspiration both in and out of the classroom and to develop a creative voice in the stimulating surroundings of Montparnasse.

You can choose to begin your studies in September or January and can take a standard (90 ECTS) or an extended (120 ECTS) version of the programme. Part-time study is only available for EU/EEA passport holders, and for those who have the right to remain in France for the duration of their degree.

Studying at the Paris School of Arts and Culture

You spend the entire year at Kent’s Paris School of Arts and Culture where you study at the Columbia Global Center (known as Reid Hall), which is located in a historic corner of Montparnasse in the heart of Paris. At this specialist, postgraduate centre, we offer interdisciplinary, flexible programmes, taught in English, which take full advantage of all the cultural resources Paris offers. Study trips to the city’s museums, art exhibitions, archives, cinemas and architectural riches are an integral part of your studies.

The interdisciplinary nature of the School means you can choose modules from outside your subject area, broadening your view of your subject. As part of our international community of students and staff, you can take part in regular seminars and talks, write for the student-run literary magazine or help to organise our annual student conference.

Many career paths can benefit from the writing and analytical skills that you develop as a postgraduate student in the School of English. Our students have gone on to work in academia, journalism, broadcasting and media, publishing, writing and teaching; as well as more general areas such as banking, marketing analysis and project management.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

€18,750

A first or second class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant subject, or substantial creative writing experience. You are required to submit a sample of your creative writing, and this will be the most significant factor in admissions decisions. Applicants may be invited to an interview.

The University of Kent is an internationally renowned institution located in Canterbury and offers an impressive portfolio of postgraduate degree courses. The university teaches advanced skills, and provides access to fantastic professional networks and learning facilities to help postgraduate students realise their academic and personal goals. Kent's campuses are based in amazing locations, with two UK campuses in Canterbury and Medway... more

Text, Practice and Research - PhD

Full time | 3 years | 23-SEP-24

Creative Writing - MA (Canterbury)

Full time | 1 year | 23-SEP-24

Creative Writing - MA (Canterbury & Paris)

English Language and Linguistics

University of kent.

• Amalia Arvaniti   (intonation, speech rhythm, prosody, sociophonetics, Greek) –  Amalia’s research focuses on the cross-linguistic study of prosody, particularly of speech rhythm and intonation. Additional interests include sociophonetics, the interaction of intonation with other components of the grammar, and bilingualism. The main languages in which she is currently pursuing research include English, Greek, Korean, Polish and Romani.
• Laura Bailey (formal syntax, comparative syntax, English dialects, non-standard syntax, Latin) –  Laura works primarily on formal and comparative syntax. She has worked extensively on polar interrogatives, and this touches on the semantics of polar questions, the syntax of disjunction and the relation between the two. These topics are driving her current research interests, which include work on grammaticalisation, word order, and disjunction in questions in English, Latin and cross-linguistically. She is also interested in collecting data to provide a formal analysis of non-standard constructions in English, including English dialects, and is currently investigating a new construction found mainly in ‘internet language’.
• Gloria Chamorro (second language acquisition, bilingualism, first language attrition, TESOL) –  Gloria’s research interests include second language acquisition, bilingualism and first language attrition, especially in relation to the processing of syntactic structures, such as anaphoric dependencies. She is also interested in second/foreign language teaching methodology.
• Heidi Colthup   (stylistics, narratology, creative writing) – Heidi is interested in narrative in video games and electronic literature, Postmodern and Digimodern literature, cognitive narratology, social media, and contemporary culture within the digital humanities.
• Sam D’Elia ( syntax, psycholinguistics ) – Sam is interested in the syntax of Argument Structure, and in how we refer to events within the constraints of a grammar. He is particularly interested in how this is related to the way that humans process perceptual information.
• David Hornsby (the history of French; sociolinguistics of French; English dialects, sociolinguistic theory) –  David researches into the regional and sociolinguistic variation in France. His work has contributed to the understanding of koinéization, dialect levelling and linguistic obsolescence processes in Northern France. He is also interested in dialects of British English.
• Michael Hughes (TESOL, methods of second language acquisition)  – Michael Hughes has had a long career in English language teaching and assessment. His research interests include the efficacy of teaching training programmes for English Language teachers and the student experience of Higher Education, particularly that of international students. He has written articles and reviews for specialist and professional publications including the ‘Journal of English for Academic Purposes’, ‘Modern English Teacher’ and ‘Practical English Teaching’.
• Vikki Janke (syntax, language acquisition, clinical linguistics, psycholinguistics)  – Vikki’s research has a strong focus on the syntactic theory. Studying language acquisition in typical and atypical populations, she is interested in the acquisition of floating quantifiers, particles and double-complement constructions, all of which bear on the question of VP-structure above. Within atypical populations, she is compiling a developmental profile of control in autism, with a view to gaining a better understanding of aspects of complex grammar in this population. A current psycholinguistics project focuses on the lexical representation of cognates in L2-learners and native speakers of English.
• Eleni Kapogianni (pragmatics, discourse analysis, intercultural pragmatics, experimental pragmatics)  – Eleni’s main research lies in the areas of pragmatics, discourse analysis, and their various interfaces. She is particularly interested in nonliteral language in discourse, especially verbal irony and parody. Her key questions concern the scope and cross-cultural characteristics of irony, the interaction between irony, sarcasm, and (im)politeness in different discourse settings, and the factors that influence the strength of inferential meaning.
• Christina Kim (experimental syntax, semantics-pragmatics interface, language processing, discourse structure, structural priming) –  Christina is interested in how language interpretation and use is situated in context. She approaches these questions from a processing perspective, using methodologies from experimental psychology and cognitive science to investigate how aspects of semantic and pragmatic meaning are resolved online. She is also interested in the relationship of syntactic phenomena to discourse structure, and the division of labor between grammatical and processing constraints.
• Angelos Lengeris (phonetics, second-language learning, TEFL/TESOL)  – Angelos has investigated the use of new technologies for improving English perception and pronunciation for Greek learners of English. He has also studied the learning of second-language intonation, the acoustics of vowels in different speaking styles, the phonetics and phonology of Greek dialects, and the perception of stress.
• April McMahon   (language change, historical linguistics, language evolution)  –  April’s research interests include how and why languages change; the use of computational methods to group languages into families; the evolution of language in humans; and the history of varieties of English and Scots.
• Tamara Rathcke (intonational phonology, rhythm and timing, language-music links, language variation and change, speech perception) –  Tamara’s research focuses on different aspects of prosody of spoken language. She has a particular interest in exploring prosodic links between melodies of language and music. She is also involved in research projects investigating phonetic bases of language variation and change and cross-dialectal speech perception and processing.
• Jeremy Scott (stylistics, narratology, literary linguistics, language and literature, creative writing) –  Jeremy researches on the border between language and literary studies. His current research interests are in language and narrative, fictional technique, literary representations of dialect, the relationship between narratives and identity, stylistics-based approaches to creative writing, and portrayals of Englishness in fiction. He has published on contemporary British and Irish fiction, on travel literature, and also his own creative work.

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Creative Writing

Featured story.

Creative Writing Reading Series

Every week we invite an established writer to read from and discuss their work. Recently we’ve hosted fiction writers May-Lan Tan, Niven Govinden and Megan Hunter, poets Stephen Collis, Cole Swensen and Peter Gizzi, memoirist Tom Rasmussen, and journalist and broadcaster Bidisha, among many others. In the summer term, we invite literary agents, publishers and other industry professionals to give an insight into the world of publishing and offer advice. These events are relaxed and informal, and all are welcome.

You can see some clips from recent online events on our YouTube channel . Look out for details of forthcoming events on the School of English News and events page .

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More About the Creative Writing Minor

The Creative Writing Minor is intended to provide academic recognition to students who have demonstrated their ability in writing. The Minor helps to establish eligibility for graduate programs in writing or it provides evidence of training that may be offered to prospective employers.

Students from any college or discipline can enroll in one of the two options for the Writing Minor: this being one of them - the Creative Writing Minor. (The other option is the Professional and Technical Writing Minor.) Classes can be taken on any campus over the course of several semesters. No coursework in this program may be taken pass-fail.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Demonstrate specialized knowledge and skills in creative writing.
• Articulate the similarities and differences among the genres of creative writing, such as poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and drama.
• Produce creative writing with attention to appropriate genre conventions, format and citation guidelines, stylistic expectations and grammatical rules.
• Participate in creative writing workshops.
• Revise and refine written work in light of critiques.

Admission Requirements

Admission to a minor is open to students declared in a bachelor’s degree, the A.A.B. or A.A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree (not Individualized Program major). Students declared only in the A.A. or A.S. degree or the A.T.S. degree in Individualized Program may not declare a minor. Students may not pursue a minor and a major in the same discipline.

Program Requirements

Graduation requirements, minor requirements.

The course not selected ( ENG 30067 or ENG 30069 ) may be taken to fulfill a writing elective.

Students may apply to the chair of the Department of English for permission to use special topics courses and other appropriate courses not listed in the curriculum to satisfy the cognate requirements. In addition, students in the College of the Arts may request that specific courses in art, art history, music and theater be accepted as meeting the cognate area requirements. Students in the College of Communication and Information may request that specific courses in communication studies and journalism and mass communication be accepted as meeting the cognate area requirements.

Though offered for variable credit, students pursuing the minor should take 3 credit hours of ENG 42092 .

• Students who wish to complete a longer project or prepare a portfolio for graduate school or for a job application may request to be enrolled in ENG 40099 for two additional credit hours of individualized work.
• Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be upper-division coursework (30000 and 40000 level).
• Minimum 6 credit hours in the minor must be outside of the course requirements for any major or other minor the student is pursuing.
• Minimum 50 percent of the total credit hours for the minor must be taken at Kent State (in residence).
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