English Literature MA

Do you love nothing more than a good book? Or perhaps you're fascinated by the inner workings of your favourite texts? If so, this course is for you.

Our published staff will support you to build your research skills and explore a range of literary genres, from Romantic poetry to dystopias. We focus on:


- questions of genre


- establishing and challenging a literary canon


- the idea of the archive, notions of orality and performance


- the relationship between manuscript and print cultures


- editorial practice and politics


We also investigate textual and critical issues involved in studying literatures in their cultural and historical contexts. For example, you might trace the textual history of a modernist novel through its drafts, or investigate the epistolary networks which shaped court poetry.

You can also study what you enjoy the most, with optional modules in a variety of literary forms, genres and themes.