ENGLISH LITERATURE, CREATIVE WRITING AND AMERICAN STUDIES NEWSLETTER
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Welcome Hello! We are delighted to share with you some of the exciting opportunities provided by the English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing (EAC) departments here at Manchester University. EAC is a vibrant and friendly department that brings together scholars from around the world to research, teach – and discuss Englishlanguage literature in all its forms and contexts from Beowulf to Wolf Hall, from the beginnings of US history to its present. We explore the relations between different texts, between literature and history, between literature and people. You will study literary greats such as Shakespeare, Lord Byron and Virginia Woolf and less well-known writers such as Aphra Behn, Djuna Barnes or Caryl Churchill. Our Creative Writing options allow you to take your study further by beginning to write literature yourself. And of course our Literature Live events offer you the opportunity to hear some of our finest contemporary writers talk about their craft with our current Professor of Creative Writing, Jeanette Winterson. But Manchester is also a great cultural resource and we routinely take our teaching into the city. Our seminar groups recently visited the People’s History Museum, the Working Class Movement Library, Manchester Literature Festival, Special Collections on Deansgate and Contact Theatre (specifically sick festival and the sexuality season), for example. Others went further abroad to Tate Liverpool. A degree in English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing enables you to engage critically and imaginatively with the world around you and to present your ideas in compelling ways. Working with literature expands our skills of empathy and trains us to account for different perspectives, both of which are important aspects of socially responsible and culturally attentive citizens. Take a look through this magazine for some highlights of our courses – we really do hope to see you next year!
Rebecca Pohl, Academic Admissions Tutor, English Literature and Creative Writing Doug Field, Academic Admissions Tutor, American Studies
1 CONTENTS English Literature and Creative Writing American Studies
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Residence Abroad
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Careers
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Department News and Events
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Contact Us
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BA ENGLISH LITERATURE , BA ENGLISH LITERATURE WITH CREATIVE WRITING This degree gives students access to the full range of English Studies. Alongside the traditional range of English Literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day, students are able to study American, Irish and post-colonial literatures as well as cultural theory, creative writing and film. In the first year, students sample a wide variety of literature and cultural theory and develop a solid basis of knowledge and skill which they then build on in years 2 and 3. During your first and second years you will be taught mainly by lecture and tutor-led sessions. Tutorials give you the opportunity to consider the same texts and topics as the lectures but with a different approach. Tutorial groups usually meet at least once a week, and numbers are kept as low as possible so that you get to know one another and share your ideas. Other course units (mainly those in your final year) are taught by a weekly seminar taken by a specialist member of staff. A compulsory third-year long essay gives you experience in independent research and allows you to develop a personal project. For some course units you join in group work and other forms of collaborative learning. You will also use web-based and other computerised resources to support your learning. Creative Writing is a small, specialised creative writing pathway within an English Literature degree. Students will take 25% of their credits in creative writing (both fiction and poetry). The creative writing component of the degree will be taught in small group workshops. Students will write their own poems and stories regularly, read relevant work from established writers and respond to examples of contemporary poetry and fiction. There will be in-class writing exercises and an introduction to workshopping. Please click here for further course information.
3 Special Features You can attend lectures and exhibitions at the internationally-renowned Manchester Centre for Anglo-Saxon Studies, while the English Research Seminar and CriticalMASS, the American Studies research seminar, also offer a series of interesting talks. The Centre for New Writing hosts a regular public event series, Literature Live, which brings contemporary novelists and poets to the University to read and engage in conversation. The famous John Rylands Library, Deansgate is also part of the University and offers the rare opportunity to see a Gutenberg bible, Shakespeare folios and other archival treasures.
Student Testimonials “Surprisingly enough, studying English Literature at Manchester is not just about having a passion for reading the odd book. It's about having a passion to learn. A passion to ask questions. A passion to express yourself. My three years at Manchester have developed and nurtured these passions, and I now head into the big wide world of work knowing I'm ready for the task as a result. But I'm also about to come out the other side of university a different person; so long as you approach everything with an open mind, the subjects and thinkers you learn about and engage with throughout the course will change your philosophy, your politics and plenty more besides. “ Jack Swanston, 3rd Year BA English Literature. “I have thoroughly enjoyed my two years so far on the English Literature with Creative Writing course at Manchester. The course is perfect for me as it combines modules that push me to write, with English Literature modules that make sure that I read widely to influence my writing. One of the best aspects of the course are our tutors, who are all enthusiastic, widely read and offer useful, encouraging feedback on your work. The small number of students on the course has turned my degree into a close knit community. On top of this, the University has lots of societies to join, and Manchester as a place has a great cultural scene for students to engage in. I am really glad I chose to study at Manchester and am considering applying for a Master’s course here.” Eve Foster, 2nd Year BA English Literature with Creative Writing .
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BA AMERICAN STUDIES The University of Manchester is ranked no 2 in the UK for American Studies, in the Complete University Guide . This is an inter-disciplinary degree programme which offers you the opportunity to study the history, literature, film, politics and popular culture of the United States. The first year is taught mainly by lecture and tutor-led sessions, which gives you a solid grounding in debates (both historical and contemporary) about the character, nature and purpose of America, and which introduces you to US literature and history before 1900. In the second year you have the opportunity to apply to study abroad for one semester, or for the whole year, or instead you can stay in Manchester. Our exchange partners include the University of California, Arizona State University, the University of Massachusetts and the University of Toronto. Students who stay in Manchester select from a range of courses covering American History, literature, film and politics. American Studies can be studied as single honours or can be taken as a joint honours degree: English Literature and American Studies (3 Years) [BA] History and American Studies (3 Years) [BA] Please click here for further course information.
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Special Features The course aims to build knowledge and skills within two disciplines so that flexibility and choice increase as that base is established. By the third year, the contents of your studies are largely a function of your own choice. The BA (Hons) American Studies has limited choice in the first year, as we want to give you a solid grounding in core topics which is the best possible basis for the free choices you will make in your second and final years. The second year offers the opportunity to study at a university in the United States or Canada. The final year requires you to write a long essay on a topic of your choice in one of a range of areas. This will complement the remaining five modules, the choice of which can be selected from approximately 30 course units available.
Student Testimonials “I’ve loved studying American Studies at Manchester. The teaching has been outstanding, with lecturers who really go out of their way to help and inspire students. The range of topics that are taught give a well-rounded and informed sense of American history and literature, while allowing students to really focus on more specific topics that they enjoy; whether that's film, politics, sociology or something else! The American Studies course at Manchester fosters an environment which encourages individual study and passion.� Carla Gordon, 3rd Year American Studies.
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RESIDENCE ABROAD All EAC students have the opportunity to apply for a study abroad programme in their second years. Our study abroad options are usually one semester and students go abroad in the first semester of their second year. Our exchange partners are carefully selected and their teaching provision is in English so you do not have to speak your host country’s language in order to study there. You may wonder why you should go abroad to enhance your study of English Literature. This goes back to the importance of cultural awareness and skill in our contemporary global world: there is no better way than immersing yourself in a foreign culture to learn about other ways of living and thinking – and to learn about yourself. Our study abroad options can take you as far afield as Hong Kong, New Zealand or California, or you may choose to stick closer to home by going to Copenhagen or Vienna.
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Student Account “I went to Mizzou (University of Missouri, Columbia) for 6 months with 4 other girls from Manchester. At first Mizzou seemed quite daunting, as we had no idea what to expect from a mid-west University, but the minute we arrived we all knew we'd have an amazing time. Settling in and making friends was easy. The Americans we met were very welcoming, Missouri definitely had that southern hospitality you hear so much about. We also met other exchange students from all over the world, and the summer that we came back to England we met up with the ones from Europe. We did all the American college things, like spring break and a road trip! The classes, although very different from the ones in Manchester, were easy to follow and the professors were always there if we needed extra help. Accommodation life was quite different as we all had to share rooms with a first year student, but this just got us more involved in residence life and in making friends faster. Best part of studying abroad was the chance we had to travel after, we went right across America staying in hostels with friends we had made at university. If I had the chance to do it all again I would, and I would definitely stay for longer than a semester!� Cerys Llewellyn, 3rd Year, BA American Studies.
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What next? Alumni Career Profiles Graduates of the Division of English, American Studies and Creative Writing enjoy career opportunities in a wide range of professions. The question to ask is less which jobs does a degree from EAC allow me to do? than which jobs doesn't such a degree allow me to do? `Traditional' careers in publishing, journalism, the media, teaching, the civil service and librarianship are still followed.
Danny Rothberg, Civil Service Fast Stream, BA Hons American Studies (2010) “While American Studies does not prepare you for a specific career, one exciting opportunity you can consider is the Civil Service Fast Stream. The skills I picked up and honed during my time at university are invaluable on a day to day basis in the HM Civil Service. Whilst your minister may never ask you for a 2,500 word essay on the Jacksonian Democracy in the early 19th Century, your experience of working under pressure, taking constructive criticism, researching and presenting effectively are all attributes required to operate successfully in the corridors of power in Whitehall. The nature of American Studies pushes you to take control of your own development and encourages you to use your initiative. These are talents that are critical to adapting to the life of work especially in the first few years as you get to grips with a new way of working in a professional, fast moving environment. Finally, a degree in American Studies will give you something to talk about to a US Brigadier General at a Number 10 meeting!�
Becca Sakin, The Children’s Society, BA Hons American Studies (2006) “My role with The Children’s Society is to support the Partnership Development Team in providing research and insight about potential high value donors and partners. After I left University, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do some volunteering abroad. I was accepted onto a programme that provided volunteers with a work placement in Ghana and this experience really cemented my desire to work in the charity sector. On my return, I found an admin job working for a local fundraising agency and from there managed to make the jump into working in fundraising administration for the disability charity, Scope. I later moved to Breast Cancer Care to set up their major donor Prospect Research function and then joined The Children’s Society. I love my job because I know the work I do directly enables The Children's Society in securing life-changing gifts to support the children and young people we work with. I think my degree has shown that I can work hard when I put my mind to something and has shown potential employers that I have a range of really solid skills – from analysing and evaluating information to communicating effectively and persuasively. Today, the skills I picked up from my degree, in particular my dissertation research into the generational divide in Black America, has directly benefited my career as a researcher. I had access to what I consider to be some of the best scholars in my subject area in the world. That was a massive privilege. The University supported my study and gave me the opportunity to discover what I did and didn’t enjoy, what I might want to do and how I might get there. “
Katie Lawrance, Assessment Centre Officer, Teach First, English Literature (2008) “I am part of the Selection Team at Teach First – a national charity addressing educational disadvantage in schools across England and Wales. I work in our Assessment Centres, helping to select those who will join the Teach First programme. I love working in a fast-paced and dynamic charity, where I know that all of my hard work is ultimately improving the life chances of thousands of children. Before this, I completed the Teach First programme myself, teaching English in a deprived area of North London. It was definitely the most challenging, but also most rewarding thing that I have ever done. In my second year of teaching, I took on the role of Deputy Head of English. I particularly liked supporting others to ensure that there was outstanding learning for all of our students. I enjoyed studying English at Manchester – which was one of the reasons I wanted to teach and share my passion for the subject with others. The analytical skills I gained throughout the course have certainly helped me – for example when I am designing and creating assessment materials. I feel very fortunate to have studied a creative writing module at our Centre for New Writing, learning from a published author. This dramatically improved the precision of my writing, which has been helpful throughout my career. “
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DEPARTMENT NEWS AND EVENTS
Take a look at some of the recent events and activities that both staff and students within the department are involved in.
English Literature students are involved in the production of the Undergraduate magazine, Sonder. You can take a look at the website and read the latest issue.
A group of third-years will be in the studio audience of BBC3’s special Young Artists edition of The Verb, their new writing show.
"Show Me the Money: The Image of Finance, 1700 to the Present" is an exhibition that is touring the UK, with its final leg at the People's History Museum in Manchester from July 2015 to February 2016. It is based on research carried out by Dr Peter Knight, along with colleagues at Edinburgh and Southampton, about the role of finance in our lives, and how that has changed over time. The key questions the project asks are: What does 'the market' look like? What does money really stand for? How can the abstractions of high finance be made visible? The exhibition charts how the financial world has been imagined in art, illustration, photography and other visual media over the last three centuries in Britain and the United States, from the South Sea Bubble of the eighteenth century to the global financial crisis of 2008. It includes paintings, prints, photographs, videos, artefacts, and instruments of financial exchange both real and imagined. For more information, click here.
The University of Manchester is holding its annual Sexuality Summer School (SSS). This is a postgraduate event, organised by the Centre for the Study of Sexuality and Culture (CSSC) at the University of Manchester since 2008 and funded by the University of Manchester Faculty of Humanities, Manchester Pride and Screen. The Sexuality Summer School brings together postgraduates, researchers and international scholars, as well as artists and filmmakers, to facilitate dialogue and discussions that speak to contemporary debates in queer and feminist sexuality studies, with a particular emphasis on the interdisciplinary study of culture.
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John McAuliffe, co-Director of the Centre for New Writing and award winning poet recently performed a reading from his forthcoming collection The Way In on Saturday, 25 April at the John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate, Manchester.
Many of our academics and students have books and extracts published nationally. You can regularly read interviews in the daily newspapers. Tim Martin meets the novelist Patricia Duncker whose unconventional period piece finds George Eliot in Berlin.
The American Studies Annual Conference is a regular event intended to give postgraduate students, at and beyond Manchester, the chance to present their work in a supportive setting, and to help promote postgraduate research and innovation more generally. Click here for more information.
Dr Doug Field and Dr Ian Scott from the American Studies Department are involved in an event The Birth of a Nation at The Whitworth Art Gallery.
Follow the EAC UG Admissions Facebook page for further regular updates. To request to join this closed group contact ug-eac@manchester.ac.uk.
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CONTACT US ug-eac@manchester.ac.uk Undergraduate Admissions Office School of Arts, Languages and Cultures Room A19, Samuel Alexander Building The University of Manchester Oxford Road Manchester M13 9PT United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)161 275 3107