Master of Arts - Literature and Creative Writing

Explore literature across time, geography and genre, while being challenged with Essex's practice-based creative writing modules. Such modules, like the Creative Writing workshop, helps to hone student's literary craft and technique, emphasizing innovation and experimentation.

Students study an eclectic range of topics such as: European Avant-Gardes of the early twentieth century, global writing and literature in English, lyric poetry, psychogeography, writing audio and digital drama. 

Essex has nurtured a long tradition of distinguished writers whose work has shaped literature as it is known today, from past giants such as the American poets Robert Lowell and Ted Berrigan, to contemporary writers such as mythographer and novelist Dame Marina Warner, and Booker Prize-winner Ben Okri.

The Department is a vibrant conservatoire of scholars and practitioners who are committed to unlocking creative personal responses to literature and creative writing. This distinctive environment is possible because they are a community of award-winning novelists, poets and playwrights, as well as leading literature specialists.

A good literature and creative writing degree opens many doors and Essex's students have gone on to work in a number of careers such as writers, editors, publishers, scholars, university lecturers, teachers, journalists, arts administrators, theatre artistic directors, drama advisers, and translators.