Available in Clearing
Creative Writing Class-4877
Library
Creative Writing Class-5061
Undergraduate

Stories have the power to inspire, shift perspectives, and drive action. An English Literature degree shows how stories can influence public opinion and address current political, social, and environmental challenges.

English Literature at the University of Hull stands out for encouraging and supporting your unique understanding of your own and others' cultures.

Taught by published authors in a region with a rich literary history. Renowned authors Andrew Marvell, Philip Larkin, Stevie Smith, Tom Paulin, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Winifred Holtby all have ties to both the University and the city.

About this course

Your passion for reading is at the heart of BA English Literature at the University of Hull. We encourage you to value your own lived experiences and connect them with those from diverse cultures and periods.

You’ll study contemporary and international writing and its links to past – and imaginary future – narratives.

You’ll explore modules such as ‘Emotional and Artificial Intelligence’, ‘Banned Books: Literature on Trial’, ‘Literary Lovers’, ‘Terror, Horror and the Gothic’, ‘Cults, Conspiracies and Criminal Worlds’ and more.

We explore 'texts' from manuscripts to printed works, from performances on stage to films and digital media. You’ll be encouraged to engage with non-fiction forms, such as auto-biographies and memoirs, and work with public audiences, shaping how they experience and interact with literature in various settings.

With a range of modules, you’ll be able to follow your passions to create a personalised academic experience.

Hull’s vibrant literary scene offers numerous chances to showcase your unique voice. Join our thriving English Society and connect with top authors. Additionally, you can design, edit, and publish work with our in-house magazines, Document 1 and Hull Scribbler.

Travel the world from your reading chair

Module options

Each year, you’ll study modules worth a certain number of credits, and you need 120 credits per year. Most modules are 20 credits – so you’ll study six modules each year. Some longer modules, such as a dissertation, are worth more. In these cases, you’ll study fewer modules - but the number of credits will always add up to 120. Some modules are compulsory, some are optional, so you can build a course that’s right for you.

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Filters

  • Emotional and Artificial Intelligence

    Explore two of the most critical issues of today: artificial intelligence (AI) and emotional intelligence (EQ). Learn to use generative AI tools like MS Copilot and critique their societal impacts, including challenges in academia and ethics. Explore EQ through literature and film, developing skills in empathy, critical thinking, and emotional management. Equip yourself for the future of work and life in an AI-driven world.

    compulsory

    20 credits

  • Global Voices

    Explore global Anglophone poetry’s response to issues like the US Civil Rights Movement and South African Apartheid and gender and identity politics. Study poetry’s spoken forms, including metre, rhyme, and verse types such as sonnets and ballads. Investigate how poets worldwide use these forms to engage with historical and social contexts, challenging and reshaping poetic expectations.

    compulsory

    20 credits

  • Just Read

    Looking to develop your passion for reading? In this module, you’ll get the chance to work with tutors to create a personalised reading list, exploring texts that challenge and inspire you.

    By analysing these texts and their historical contexts, you’ll improve your reading skills, deepen your understanding of literature, and enhance your critical awareness, while preparing for more complex concepts to come.

    If you're ready to reconnect with literature and build the skills to thrive, this module is made for you.

    compulsory

    20 credits

  • Performing Identity

    Explore evolving notions of identity through drama, focusing on gender, race, sexuality, and intersectionality. Examine how plays reflect and challenge societal norms from contemporary texts to ancient Greece and Shakespeare. Develop skills in dramatic analysis, gain insights into the relationship between self and society, and explore gender equality barriers.

    compulsory

    20 credits

  • Transforming Stories

    Study key concepts like adaptation, appropriation, and intertextuality, examining how literature transforms existing stories. Explore texts like Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Chaucer, and Shakespeare to see how myths and narratives are reworked across time and cultures. This module incorporates feminist, postcolonial, and LGBTQ+ perspectives and encourages creating creative responses, blending English Literature and Creative Writing.

    compulsory

    20 credits

  • Young Adult Fiction

    Delve into genres like science fiction, fantasy, romance, and realism. Examine how young adult fiction addresses real-life issues such as gender, sexuality, and racial justice, helping readers navigate their identities. Understand how young adult fiction shapes visions of the future, and its appeal to both young and adult audiences.

    compulsory

    20 credits

  • Engaging Audiences

    A unique collaboration between English at Hull, HMPPS, and local colleges. Analyse literary engagement with external audiences, gaining skills in quantitative research, ethics, and audience reception theory. Explore responses to literature and social issues. The module enhances employability through real-world challenges, preparing you for advanced research and practical applications.

    compulsory

    20 credits

  • Green Thoughts, Blue Stories: Literature and the Environment

    Explore environmental issues, focusing on 'green' (land) and 'blue' (sea) themes. Analyse Anglophone eco-writing, including Native Indian and Indigenous perspectives, and texts on pollution, climate change, and sustainability, such as Juliet Blaxland’s The Easternmost House and W. G. Sebald’s Rings of Saturn. This module fosters cross-cultural and creative approaches to global environmental crises.

    compulsory

    20 credits

  • Shakespeare and co.

    Rethink connections between plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries and their links to contemporary issues like racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and gender identity. By exploring how these plays address ongoing social issues, we gain an insight into the origins of modern social constructs, while deepening our understanding of dramatic forms and historical context.

    compulsory

    20 credits

student holding books
Just Read

Who decides the must-read books? You do.

Looking to develop your passion for reading? In this module, you’ll get the chance to work with tutors to create a personalised reading list, exploring texts that challenge and inspire you.

By analysing these texts and their historical contexts, you’ll improve your reading skills, deepen your understanding of literature, and enhance your critical awareness, while preparing for more complex concepts to come.

If you're ready to reconnect with literature and build the skills to thrive, this module is made for you.

Our facilities

Our 7-storey library is home to 1 million+ books, extensive digital resources drawn from libraries and archives across the world, and stunning panoramic views of the city from the 7th floor.

Our academics

You’re taught by internationally renowned scholars, published poets, fiction writers, and scriptwriters. People who bring their expertise, creativity and passion into everything you learn.

We’re part of the Larkin Centre research group. In REF 2021, 93% of our research was ranked world-leading or internationally excellent. 4

jason-lawrence

Jason Lawrence

Senior Lecturer

catherine-wynne

Dr Catherine Wynne

Lecturer

Entry Requirements

Fees & Funding

How much is it?

Creative Writing Class-5083

Future prospects

Our English Literature programme offers a range of complex and stimulating challenges. You will improve your ability to read, analyse, and engage in discussions about literary works that resonate with your interests. A degree in English Literature provides you with essential skills for interpreting and analysing complex issues, which are valuable across numerous career paths.

You will develop a deep understanding of culture and the world around you, while also enhancing your communication skills, enabling you to produce impactful writing applicable to various professions, including:

  • Journalism / digital media
  • PR, marketing, and public communications
  • Teaching/Academia
  • Speech / bid writing
  • Librarian / archivist

Become part of the next generation of futuremakers

Like what you've seen? Then it's time to apply.

The standard way is to apply through UCAS. This will give you the chance to showcase your skills qualities and passion for the subject, as well as providing us with your academic qualifications.

Three students posing in front of a room full of plants

Not ready to apply yet?

Visit our next Open Day, and see all that Hull has to offer for yourself. Talk to our lecturers about your subject, find out what university is really like from our current students, and take a tour of our beautiful campus and amazing facilities.

You may also be interested in...

1.

92.9% employability (English) UK domicile full-time first degree leavers; Higher Education Graduate Outcomes statistics, for the academic year 2021/22, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency June 2024.

2.

English ranks 1st in the UK for for student voice. National Student Survey 2024

3.

English is ranked 10th in the UK for Student Experience. The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.

4.

Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021

All modules presented on this course page are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.