manchester university creative writing staff

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

Staff directory

Meet the staff of each subject area at the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

• American Studies staff
• Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies staff
• Archaeology staff
• Art History staff
• Chinese Studies staff
• Drama staff
• English Literature and Creative Writing staff
• Film Studies staff
• French Studies staff
• German Studies staff
• History staff
• Italian Studies staff
• Japanese Studies staff
• Linguistics and English Language staff
• Music staff
• Religions and Theology staff
• Russian and East European Studies staff
• Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies staff
• Translation and Intercultural Studies staff

Centres and institutes

Meet the teams within our centres and institutes. 

• Centre for the Cultural History of War
• Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Arts and Languages (CIDRAL)
• Centre for Jewish Studies
• Centre for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
• Centre for New Writing (CNW)
• Centre for the Study of Sexuality and Culture
• Centre for Translation and Intercultural Studies
• Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI)
• Institute for Cultural Practices (ICP)
• The John Rylands Research Institute and Library
• NOVARS (Research Centre for Electroacoustic Composition, Performance and Sound-Art)
• University Centre for Academic English /LEAP/UWLC

Professional support services

• Languages administration team -  [email protected]

English, American Studies and Creative Writing

• Faculty of Humanities
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Dive into details.

Select a country/territory to view shared publications and projects

David Alderson

• English and American Studies - Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies

Person: Academic

Burcu Alkan

• English and American Studies - Honorary Research Fellow

Meaghan Allen

• English and American Studies

Person: Doctor of Philosophy

Jason Allen-Paisant

• English and American Studies - Senior Lecturer in Critical Theory & Creative Writing

Naomi Baker

• English and American Studies - Senior Lecturer in English Literature

Research output

• 635 Article
• 463 Chapter
• 135 Book/Film/Article review
• 118 Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary
• 59 Anthology
• 22 Foreword/postscript
• 21 Review article
• 20 Other contribution
• 18 Conference contribution
• 13 Editorial
• 10 Scholarly edition
• 5 Comment/debate
• 5 Special issue
• 4 Web publication/site
• 3 Commissioned report
• 3 Digital or Visual Products
• 3 Exhibition
• 2 Meeting Abstract
• 2 Literature review
• 2 Doctoral Thesis
• 1 Other chapter contribution
• 1 Featured article
• 1 Composition

Research output per year

'Bucolic Mussolini': Sexual Politics in Winifred Holtby's South Riding

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

• Romance 100%
• Bucolic 100%
• Narrative 50%
• Archival Research 50%
• Lauren Berlant 50%

Landscape and Lyric: Thomson, Gray, Warton, Goldsmith

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

• James Thomson 100%
• Down-beat 100%
• William Cowper 100%

Where are the Amazons? Absences and presences of female agency in audiovisual adaptions of the Trojan war narrative (WT)

"a sad inheritance of misery": the cultural life of hereditary scrofula in eighteenth-century england.

• Legal Language 100%

Byron and Italian Literature

• 2 Not started

Projects per year

Beyond Radical: Queer Theory and the UK

Nichols, B. & Stacey, J.

1/07/23 → 30/06/24

Project : Research

CASTOR: Creative Adaptive Solutions for Treescapes of Rivers (AWARD)

Dennis, M. , Ashton, J. , Da Conceicao Bispo, P. , Huck, J. & Taylor, J.

1/08/21 → 31/01/25

• Rivers 100%
• Solutions 100%
• Solution 100%
• Health Care Cost 100%
• Rewilding 50%

Centre for Digital Trust and Society

Barrett, E. , Allmendinger, R. , Elliot, M. , Lord, N. , Cordeiro, L. , Gibson, R. , Papamarkou, T. , Dresner, D., Buil-Gil, D. , Aldridge, J. , Duncan, P. , Banach, R. , Brown, G. , Dennis, L. , Fisher, M. , Korovin, K. , Kotselidis, C. , Luján, M., Mustafa, M. , Olivier, P. , Reger, G. , Zhang, N. , Hodgkinson, G. , Gulati, S., Ainsworth, J. , Chen, Y. , Green, B., Healey, M. , Uyarra, E. , Zachariadis, M. , Little, C. , Mackey, E. , Nenadic, G. , Keane, J. , Shlomo, N. , Laskowski, N., Jarwar, M. A., Shariati Samani, S., Smith, D., Kambites, M. , Thorpe, M. , Rowley, P. , Flynn, S. , Turner, P. , Wainwright, V. , Czerwinsky, A. , Nini, A. , Broad, R. , Shute, J. , Deakin, J. , Taboada, P., Knight, P. , Hutchings, S. , Whyte, J. , Tolz-Zilitinkevic, V. , Pilkington, H. , Guharoy, S. , Nicolo, A. , Reggiani, C. , Garcia Oliva, J. , Van Someren, A., Bon, E. , Cantijoch Cunill, M. , Koch, D. & Chen, Y.

11/05/21 → …

Project : Other

• Cybersecurity 100%
• Nonprofit Organizations 100%
• Logic Gate 50%
• Buildings 33%

Britain and the American Civil War: A Case Study of the Union and Emancipation Society

• Public Opinion 100%
• Civil War 100%
• Workers 33%
• Monograph 33%

Show Me the Money

Knight, P. , Marsh, N., Crosthwaite, P., Robinson, A. & Streffen, I.

• Finance 80%
• Manchester 30%
• Contemporary 30%

Challenging Cultural Assumptions about Multiple Sclerosis

Maria Hyland (Participant)

Impact : Societal impacts, Cultural impacts, Health impacts

Changing public perception and creative practice around the Irish migrant experience in Britain

Liam Harte (Participant)

Impact : Awareness and understanding, Society and culture

Exploring the ethics and emotions of bird-human relationships in poetry and conservation science.

Clara Dawson (Participant)

IMPACT CASE STUDY (REF 2014): Setting a legal precedent through research into gangsta rap

Eithne Quinn (Participant)

Impact : Cultural impacts, Societal impacts

Impact on the Public’s Understanding of Nineteenth-century Poetry and Politics

Michael Sanders (Participant)

Impact : Cultural impacts

• 56 Invited talk
• 33 Participating in a conference, workshop, exhibition, performance, inquiry, course etc
• 33 Oral presentation
• 20 Organising a conference, workshop, exhibition, performance, inquiry, course etc
• 17 Editorial work
• 10 Visiting an external academic institution
• 9 Publication peer-review
• 9 Membership of professional association
• 2 Membership of board
• 2 Membership of grants peer review college
• 1 Hosting a non-academic visitor
• 1 Hosting an academic visitor
• 1 Membership of committee
• 1 Membership of network

Activities per year

Oxford University Press (External organisation)

Naomi Baker (Academic expert member)

Activity : Membership › Membership of board › Research

Literature and Theology (Journal)

Naomi Baker (Associate editor)

Activity : Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial work › Research

Plant politics: Fenner Brockway's Blades of Grass

Ingrid Hanson (Speaker)

Activity : Talk or presentation › Oral presentation › Research

Racial Bias and the Bench: One Year On

Eithne Quinn (Organiser), Gary Younge (Chair) & Keir Monteith (Participant)

Activity : Participating in or organising event(s) › Organising a conference, workshop, exhibition, performance, inquiry, course etc › Research

Slow reading and the processes of protest: nature, culture and conscientious objection

Activity : Talk or presentation › Invited talk › Research

Peer-to-Peer, Self-Consumption and Transactive Energy Literature Review Data Extraction Table

Capper, T. (Creator), Gorbatcheva, A. (Creator), Schwidtal, J. M. (Creator), Mustafa, M. (Creator), Andoni, M. (Creator), Chitchyan, R. (Creator), Robu, V. (Creator), Montakhabi, M. (Creator), Piccini, P. (Creator), Bahloul, M. (Creator), Mbavarira, T. (Creator), Kiesling, L. (Creator), Scott, I. (Creator), Francis, C. (Creator), Espana, J. M. (Creator) & Troncia, M. (Creator), University of Manchester Figshare, 25 Jan 2022

DOI : 10.48420/16930768.v1 , https://figshare.manchester.ac.uk/articles/dataset/Peer-to-Peer_Self-Consumption_and_Transactive_Energy_Literature_Review_Data_Extraction_Table/16930768/1

The Origins of Early Modern Literature: Recovering Mid-Tudor Writing for a Modern Readership

Shrank, C. (Creator), Pincombe, M. (Creator), Schurink, F. (Creator) & Bryson, A. (Creator), HRI Online Publications, 16 Dec 2014

DOI : 10.15127/1.243717 , https://www.dhi.ac.uk/origins/ and one more link , https://www.dhi.ac.uk/data/oeml (show fewer)

1921 Prize in American Literature for 2019

Fraser, Gordon (Recipient), 8 Jan 2020

Prize : Prize (including medals and awards)

• American literature 100%
• Awards 100%
• Literary Studies 33%
• Social Systems 33%

2020 British Association for American Studies (BAAS) Book Prize, Winner

Quinn, Eithne (Recipient), 2020

• Associations 100%
• Ethnic Groups 50%
• Civil and Political Rights 50%

2020 Richard Wall Book Award, Finalist

Prize : Other distinction

• Structural Elements (Buildings) 100%
• Theatre 50%
• Tuition Fee 50%

AHRC International Placement Scheme

White, Hilary (Recipient), 2 Oct 2017

Prize : Fellowship awarded competitively

• Scheme 100%
• Placement 100%
• Archives 100%
• Archival Research 100%
• Universities 100%

AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership

Miller, Zoe (Recipient), 1 Oct 2020

• Training 100%

Press/Media

Law society gazette: equal treatment bench book: racism chapter 'tighter and full of practical guidance'.

Eithne Quinn

1 item of Media coverage

Press/Media : Expert comment

THE TIMES: Concern over use of drill music in court

Press/Media : Research

GUARDIAN: ‘It risks miscarriages of justice’: MPs oppose rap lyrics being used as evidence in UK trials

Law society gazette news focus: bias on the bench - judicial diversity, guardian: human rights group backs manchester men who say racism led to murder convictions, student theses, warp weighted looms: then and now anglo-saxon and viking archaeological evidence and modern practitioners.

Supervisor: Owen-Crocker, G. (Supervisor) & Hind, M. (Supervisor)

Student thesis : Unknown

Alternatively, use our A–Z index

Attend an open day

Discover more about the Centre for New Writing

PhD Creative Writing / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

• View full page
• Bachelor's (Honours) degree at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent)
• Master's degree in a relevant subject – with an overall average of 70% or above

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Please ensure you include all  required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered. 

Application Deadlines 

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by  12 January 2024. 

If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self–funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed. 

• For September 2024 entry:  30 June 2024 
• For January 2025 entry:  30 September 2024 

Programme options

Programme overview.

• Complete your research as part of the University's prestigious Centre for New Writing.
• Combine creative and critical elements within your doctorate, to prepare a novel or a collection of poetry or short stories.
• Benefit from creative supervision by an experienced poet or fiction writer and draw on the range of expertise within the University to find a supervisor for your critical element.

To find out what studying on a postgraduate research programme at Manchester is like, visit our Open days and study fairs page and explore our virtual open week or future on-campus and international events.

We will be conducting our PGR virtual open week in October 2024. Find out more about future events and postgraduate research sessions by signing up for our email alerts.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Please note for the majority of projects where experimentation requires further resource: higher fee bands (where quoted) will be charged rather than the base rate for supervision, administration and computational costs. The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive and, therefore, you will not be required to pay any additional bench fees or administration costs.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of the course for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your project.

Read more about  postgraduate fees .

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including AHRC NWCDTP and School of Arts, Languages and Cultures studentships is 12 January 2024. 

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting the funding application form and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.  

• AHRC North West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership (NWCDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures PhD Studentships 2024 Entry - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Arts, Languages and Cultures New Generation PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)

Contact details

See: About us

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

• English Literature, American Studies and Creative Writing

Regulated by the Office for Students

The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

Subscribe to our newsletter to keep up to date on all of our latest events, projects and news.

Writers in Manchester

Novels, plays, flash fiction, poetry, spoken word, non-fiction, novellas, street art, comic books – whatever your literary bag, manchester has got you covered..

From supportive short courses for those who are ready to tentatively dip their toes into the world of literature, to creative writing degrees offered by two world-class writing schools, there are opportunities available at every level to develop your practice in Manchester.

If you’re not sure where to start, here’s an overview of what’s on offer…

For those looking for a higher education qualification in their discipline, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Manchester offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in English and Creative Writing. In both cases, their academic staff is second to none and you’ll find yourself being taught by some of the most well-known and respected names in the industry, including authors and poets whose books may well already line your shelves.

If you’re not in the market for a degree, then there are plenty of short courses on offer. Manchester Metropolitan University has several of these available, ranging from a scriptwriting masterclass to a course on how to build a children’s story. Away from the city’s academic classrooms, Comma Press offers short story courses and Commonword regularly run creative writing workshops.

The Writing Squad offer an excellent free two year programme of workshops and 1-1 support is for writers aged 16-22 who live, work or study in the North of England and go on to support writers through their careers.

Tired of writing on your own? We hear you. We know that writing is one of life’s greatest joys – but we also know it can be a lonely pursuit! Fortunately, Manchester has some fantastic groups to help inspire you and ultimately develop your craft. Commonword is a writing development organisation that provides opportunities for new and aspiring writers. It’s home to the well-established Identity group, which takes part in masterclasses, workshops, seminars, and more.

Commonword also hosted Young Identity for six years of its life. Now a charity in its own right, Young Identity delivers poetry and spoken word workshops for young people and helps to develop some of the most exciting new young performers on the scene. The group has worked with big names such as Lemn Sissay and Kae Tempest, as well as performing all over the UK and internationally.

There are also a number of traditional creative writing groups, where writers of all disciplines can meet up on a regular basis to share their work and give each other thoughtful feedback. The Monday Night Group of Writers is one of the city’s most established groups, Manchester Muslim Writers meet once a month and run sessions for poets, novelists, screenplay writers, playwrights and bloggers, and Manchester Women Writers hold their welcoming weekly writing group once a week in City Library.

Spoken word nights

Call us biased but we think Manchester has one of the best spoken word scenes in the country (if not the world!). There is an undeniable feeling that our city is at the cutting edge when it comes to nurturing spoken word talent – and with more than a dozen regular nights taking place across the city, there’s room for everyone to take their place at the mic stand.

Of those 12+ nights, there’s Word Central hosted by Tony Curry and taking place at Manchester Central Library, Verbose Manchester at The King’s Arms in Salford and Bad Language which has its home in the Northern Quarter’s Gullivers, and Sayin? Manchester usually based at Niamos in Hulme. Plus loads more! Our event page is a great place to keep up to date and if you’re hosting your own spoken word night, please do add it to our calendar .

Competitions

Submitting your work to a competition, whether you scoop the first prize or not, can boost your writing. Competitions can push us to hone our work, give us a newfound focus, and add structure to our writing.

Manchester Metropolitan University hosts the annual Manchester Writing Competition, offering prizes for both fiction and poetry. The competitions are open to both new and established writers and there are some significant prizes to be won, with both offering £10,000 to their respective winners.

Poets & Players, who are known for their programming of poets and musicians at Anthony Burgess Foundation, also host a yearly poetry competition, with past judges including Jackie Kay, Pascale Petit, and Jacob Polley. The winner of the competition receives a cash reward and the chance to read their poem at a Poets & Players event.

Although not based in Manchester, New Writing North supports writing and reading in the north of England. The Northern Writers’ Awards were founded in 2000 and invites writers from across the north of England to submit their unpublished work-in-progress for judging. The scope for the awards is broad, so it’s worth checking to see if your chosen practice fits the bill.

Manchester City of Literature regularly posts about upcoming opportunities and competitions, so be sure to keep an eye on our social media feeds for up to date information.

To learn more about what’s happening in the city or to upload your own upcoming workshop, activity or organised event, visit our Events page and be sure to subscribe to our newsletter, where we regularly send out opportunities and updates for writers.

RELATED EVENTS, NEWS AND INFO

Oldham writing festival, online edition crafting a short story collection with gaynor jones, crafting a short story course, national creative writing industry day 2023, creative writing workshop with amy vreeke, manchester writing school: creative writing summer school, short story writing with tania hershman (6 sessions), author branding: online social media course with isabelle kenyon, sj bradley’s online short story course, comma press online short story course with sj bradley, the portico sadie massey awards, manchester writing school.

The Portico Library

Manchester Muslim Writers

Young Identity

The Writing Squad

Comma Press

Centre for New Writing

Search by keyword

Accessibility.

Manchester City of Literature is committed to inclusion and accessibility for everyone.

Every person who uses our website deserves an inclusive online experience with options allowing you to choose how best to navigate and consume information to suit your needs. The Recite Me assistive technology toolbar allows for adjustments to all elements of the page including text, graphics, language, and navigation.

search by date

• Economic growth Boosting skills and increasing prosperity
• Transforming health Improving healthcare and developing talent
• Undergraduate open days

Order a prospectus

• Subject areas
• Why study at Manchester Met?
• Chat to our current students

How to apply

• Schools and colleges
• Parents and guardians
• Mature students
• Online learning
• Admissions policies and procedures
• Virtual tour
• Postgraduate open days
• Join us in January 2024
• Find a postgraduate course
• Professional development
• Research study
• Information for employers
• Funding and the levy
• Employer case studies
• Apprenticeship information for students
• Student case studies
• Apprenticeship Research Unit
• How to apply for accommodation
• Living in halls
• Your contract
• Rent a private property
• Course enquiries Ask us a question
• Find your country
• Before you apply
• When you have an offer
• Apply for your visa
• Exchange to Manchester Metropolitan
• Study abroad
• Becoming a partner
• Innovation Work with world-leading academics
• Leadership and growth Get training and support from specialists
• Talent, recruitment and development Connect with our students. Develop your people
• Conferences and events Hire our spaces, technology and facilities
• Championing creative excellence
• Driving economic growth
• Leading sustainability
• Tackling inequalities
• Transforming health
• Case studies
• Research Excellence Framework
• Engaging the public with our research
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Our commitment to researchers
• Why study a doctoral degree
• Choose Manchester Met
• PhDs and Doctoral Degrees
• Research degree subjects
• Postgraduate research fees
• Scholarships
• Doctoral College
• News and events
• Academic partnerships
• Ethics and Governance
• Responsible metrics
• Internationalisation
• Board of Governors
• Vice-Chancellor
• University Executive Group
• Faculty of Arts and Humanities
• Faculty of Business and Law
• Faculty of Health and Education
• Faculty of Science and Engineering
• Institute for Children's Futures
• Institute of Sport
• Professional Services
• Honorary graduates
• Environment
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Close Search mmu.ac.uk Search
• Economic growth
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Apprenticeships
• Become a degree apprentice
• Accommodation
• Course enquiries
• International
• Study at Manchester Met
• International partnerships
• Business and employers
• Leadership and growth
• Talent, recruitment and development
• Conferences and events
• Our research
• Research Integrity
• Our strategy
• Current students
• BA (Hons) Creative Writing

Creative Writing

If you want to get serious about creative writing, the Manchester Writing School – with a proven reputation for developing gifted students into award-winning professional writers – is the ideal place to start.

Course overview

Embark on our creative writing degree and from the very start you’ll study and practise the art and craft of writing in a wide range of established and new forms, from prose fiction, screenwriting and poetry, to digital art, spoken word and writing for computer games. You'll also focus on how writers read texts, how we can learn from them and how to add your own voice into the ongoing conversation of literature.

You’ll learn from award-winning, leading poets, novelists and scriptwriters at the renowned Manchester Writing School – writers who know what it takes to turn a flash of inspiration into brilliant words on the page. The course also has a strong emphasis on professional development, and in our practical 'Beyond the Page' unit you’ll look at professional prac...

What you need to know

• When does the course start? September 2024 September 2025

3 years full-time

4 years with placement year or study abroad

4-9 years part-time

• How many UCAS points do I need? 104-112
• Where will I study this course? Manchester

Features and benefits

"One of the greatest pleasures of my working life continues to be the Manchester Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University - a department with a real sense of family, achievement and celebration, and an ethos of nurturing and innovation." Professor Carol Ann Duffy DBE (Poet Laureate 2009-19) Creative Director of the Manchester Writing School

Course Information

In creative writing, students study and practise the art and craft of writing in a wide range of established and new forms, from prose fiction and poetry to screenwriting and writing for computer games. A range of award-winning and internationally celebrated writers teach on the BA programme, including Helen Mort, Andrew McMillan, Andrew Hurley, Kim Moore, Susan Barker, Lara Williams, Rachel Genn, Rachel Lichtenstein, Anjum Malik, Nikolai Duffy, Catherine Fox, Livi Michael, Gregory Norminton, Adam O’Riordan, Joe Stretch, Malika Booker, Antony Rowland and Jean Sprackland.

Accreditations, Awards and Endorsements

National Student Survey 2023 (NSS) 93.8% student satisfaction - In response to: How good are teaching staff at explaining things?

Teaching Excellence Framework 2023-2027 We have received an overall gold status in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), meaning we're rated as an outstanding university for our student experience.

You will explore genres and understand these in terms of formal and thematic properties. You will explore the relationships between poetry, prose and drama by familiarising yourself with some of the major works that define each genre. You will also consider the reasons why writers make generic and formal choices, and in your own creative writing, you will be encouraged to experiment in genres and forms, engaging critically with issues raised by each.

You’ll also work on how to read texts as a writer, thinking about what we can learn from existing texts and how we can take those lessons forward in our own work and into professional practice. You’ll be asked to write critically about these texts too, in order to bring greater understanding and depth to your own writing.

Language and Technique

An introduction to writing techniques focussing primarily on the crafting processes of poetry and prose. 

This unit introduces key skills for university study, progressing to research, writing and project development. You will learn skills of close reading and textual analysis, practice on a range of cultural forms and focussed on representations of Manchester as a diverse, international city. You will then develop your own independent project and put into practice the analytical skills developed. 

Story and Structure

An introduction to the conventions of storytelling focussing on forms such as flash fiction, short stories, screenwriting and writing for theatre.

The Writing Life

This unit will introduce students to professional opportunities in Creative Writing and the skills needed to access them. 

Study and assessment breakdown

• Year 1 30% lectures, seminars or similar; 70% independent study
• Year 2 30% lectures, seminars or similar; 70% independent study
• Year 3 100% placement (optional)
• Year 4 10% lectures, seminars or similar; 90% independent study
• Year 1 100% coursework
• Year 2 100% coursework
• Year 4 100% coursework

Placement options

Placement opportunities may be available both in the UK and abroad, in a wide variety of roles and sectors.

Our dedicated placement team have developed excellent links with various industries. You will be offered support through a preparation programme of activities that includes guidance on selection procedures, working overseas, CV preparation, interview and selection techniques.

In your second year, you will begin to specialise by selecting writing workshop modules in poetry, prose, scriptwriting and digital taught by practising writers. You’ll experiment and engage with issues raised by formal choices, such as point of view and diction, and develop your workshop and editorial skills. Distinguished writers from our Manchester Writing School will provide masterclasses on specialist forms of writing to help you shape your own creative practice, alongside studio sessions on intellectual and technical aspects central to your craft.

You will also learn about the history of the literary transmission of texts, focussing specifically on texts and their relation to technologies of the age, and the nature and resources of the literary artist.

Additionally, you will choose option units from the wider English programme so you can learn from the work of a wide range of writers and filmmakers, and develop your critical skills too. The listed option units are indicative of the type of units that will be available.

Creative Workshop 1

Students focus on two literary forms chosen from a list (for example prose, poetry, scriptwriting) and follow an intensive workshop for one semester. 

Creative Workshop 2

Remake/remodel.

Students explore literary adaptation, analysing how texts survive and evolve - how the meanings of stories, characters, poems, songs and ideas change across time and across forms. Students will be supported to make adaptations of material encountered on the unit. Students then explore the artistic process underpinning literary adaptation, examining a range of strategies by which a text or existing cultural artefact might be re-made. Students will make their own literary adaptation of an existing story, character, painting, videogame, piece of music or film, whilst reflecting critically on the process.  

The Writer's Studio

Students focus on one creative writing form chosen from a list (for example creative non-fiction, life writing) and follow an intensive workshop for one semester. 

Option units

Cultures of resistance.

This unit investigates cultures of resistance and their historical conditions. To do so, it places a range of resistant cultural texts in dialogue with relevant theoretical and critical material. 

Engaging the Humanities 2

An innovative unit that applies interdisciplinary methods, approaches and perspectives of humanities and social science disciplines to contemporary socio-economic challenges, complementing Engaging the Humanities 1. Each year the unit will address a different contemporary issue or theme. The unit will give you the opportunity to develop and apply your academic skills in an applied, practical setting by undertaking an individual engagement project. This can include a work placement, volunteering, social/community enterprise, RAH! Project, awareness-raising campaign, multimedia piece, blog, creative writing, poetry or artwork performance/exhibition. Each project will be supervised and mentored by one of the unit tutors. Finding external partners to work with will be supported by the Engagement and Outreach team.

Fit for the Future

The unit will take students through the various stages of recruitment from identifying strengths and skills, to job searching and CVs, using platforms such as LinkedIn, and interview practice. Students will build up a portfolio of tasks related to employability, for instance, CV, video interview, assessment centre and reflect on their learning across the unit.

Global Challenges: Green Literature, Film and Media

This unit will analyse the current climate crisis applying the methodologies of creative writing, English literature, or film and media studies.

Manchester City of Literature

This unit will explore the organisations and activities that make up Manchester’s UNESCO City of Literature network, and assess ways in which literary activity can help cities address contemporary global challenges.

Writing After The British Empire: Race, Nation And Theory

How can literary and cultural texts write back to the former colonial centre, enact the decolonisation of the mind, and unpick the stereotypes and ideologies central to the establishment of the British empire? How do literary and cultural works represent the lingering effects of imperialism in the present day? What does contemporary inequality, nationalism, Islamophobia and racism have to do with Britain’s colonial past? This unit supports students to address the formal, ideological and ethical questions negotiated in postcolonial literature and cinema. The unit offers an introduction to postcolonial theory as it relates to the texts and contexts we discuss. Areas of investigation might include climate change, migration, war, gender and sexuality, race and religion.

If you choose one of our four-year routes, Year 3 will be spent on placement or studying abroad.

In your final year, you will undertake a creative project and also take your work beyond the page into professional contexts; and alongside this you will be able to choose from a range of option units to suit your interests. Please note that the following list of units is indicative and may be subject to change.

Beyond the Page

This unit explores professional practice and the application of creative skills in the wider world. You will encounter practitioners from a diverse range of writing and creative professions and gain perspective on accessing and working within the cultural industry. You will take a literary text of your own - an original piece or something written within another unit - and conceive a strategy for its dissemination, reinvention, publication or performance, whilst reflecting critically on this process.

Creative Project (30 credits)

On this unit, you will be asked to devise, scope, plan, conduct, report and reflect on a creative project of your own choosing. The project should involve a significant stretch from your core work on the programme and explore a new practice. This can be either working in a writing discipline different to your main route through the course, or by adapting or applying your work in a new context.

Study Abroad Semester

The Study Abroad unit will involve study for one semester at an approved partner University overseas.

Escapade: Writing Creative Non-Fiction

This unit teaches you how to tell true stories in a post-truth world, how to narrate real-life events (escapades) through innovations in essay writing, observational fieldnotes, literary journalism, life writing and narrative scholarship in a range of media and to understand the ethical consequences of doing so. 

Introduction to Book Publishing

This unit will introduce students to all parts of the book publishing process and industry. Through practical exercises and interactive lectures, students will learn how the industry developed, specialist genres such as children's publishing and how publishers commission, edit, design and produce books in all formats. 

Introduction to Teaching

The unit will aim to introduce English as a core curriculum subject in secondary schools and as an A-level subject. It will provide students with insight into the application of their subject specialism to teaching in school and colleges in England, covering aspects of both curriculum content and subject pedagogy.

Popular Fiction: Reading and Writing Genre

This unit explores novels and novellas for adults that can be categorised as belonging to recognisable commercial and popular genres. You will be expected to engage both critically and creatively a range of genres.

Reading Children’s Literature

This unit provides an analytical study of a range of classic and modern texts written for children. It also uses these texts as models for the production of new texts. The unit also covers appropriate techniques for writing for children. It provides you with the skills to analyse a range of children's literature, and to use the resulting knowledge to produce original texts suitable for teenagers and children. 

Reading and Writing Games

This unit provides an analytical study of a range of twenty and twenty-first century games, both analogue and digital. Students will be introduced to the critical and historical field of game studies, and given guidance on the appropriate techniques for writing for gaming and the experience of working with pre-determined project briefs.

Reading and Writing Poetry

This unit focuses on reading and analysing a representative range of work by contemporary poets, and introduces students to relevant critical work. It equips students with critical, analytical and writing skills to read and write poetry effectively. Assessment will give students the opportunity to produce written work in critical and creative modes, and to reflect analytically on their own work. The unit will provide students with the opportunity to attend a major poetry event (e.g. the Forward Prize or the T. S. Eliot prize awards) and to visit poetry readings. 

Renegade: Writing Literary Fiction

Students will read and research a range of texts and map the terrain of contemporary literary fiction. Students will engage in current debates around the meaning and vitality of literary fiction and the way it intersects with various political movements. Students will engage and experiment with the formal innovation that defines contemporary literary fiction. Students will ultimately offer their own creative responses to the formal and political concerns of the moment through their own creative writing. 

Writing Series Drama

A creative advanced Scriptwriting course which develops skills in team storylining and individual scriptwriting skills in the context of the study of contemporary professional practice.

Whether you’ve already made your decision about what you want to study, or you’re just considering your options, there are lots of ways you can meet us and find out more about student life at Manchester Met.

• a virtual experience campus tour
• chats with current students

Taught by Experts

Your studies are supported by a department of committed and enthusiastic teachers and researchers, experts in their chosen field.

We often link up with external professionals too, helping to enhance your learning and build valuable connections to the working world.

Entry Requirements

Ucas tariff points.

GCE A levels - grades BCC or equivalent

Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma - grade DMM

Access to HE Diploma - Pass overall with a minimum 106 UCAS Tariff points

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma - grade of Merit overall

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - grade DMM

T level - We welcome applications from students undertaking T level qualifications. Eligible applicants will be asked to achieve a minimum overall grade of Merit as a condition of offer

IB Diploma - Pass overall with a minimum overall score of 26 or minimum 104 UCAS Tariff points from three Higher Level subjects

Other Level 3 qualifications equivalent to GCE A level are also considered. 

A maximum of three A level-equivalent qualifications will be accepted towards meeting the UCAS tariff requirement. 

AS levels, or qualifications equivalent to AS level, are not accepted. The Extended Project qualification (EPQ) may be accepted towards entry, in conjunction with two A-level equivalent qualifications.

Please contact the University directly if you are unsure whether you meet the minimum entry requirements for the course.

Specific GCSE Requirements

GCSE grade C/4 in English Language or equivalent, e.g. Pass in Level 2 Functional Skills English

International Baccalaureate points

Ielts score required for international students.

There’s further information for international students on our international website if you’re applying with non-UK qualifications.

Fees and Funding

Uk and channel island students.

Full-time fee: £9,250 per year. This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation and may increase each academic year in line with inflation or UK government policy for both new and continuing students.

Part-time fee: £2312.50 per 30 credits studied per year. This tuition fee is agreed subject to UK government policy and parliamentary regulation and may increase each academic year in line with inflation or UK government policy for both new and continuing students.

EU and Non-EU International Students

Full-time fee: £18,500 per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Part-time fee: £4625 per 30 credits studied per year. Tuition fees will remain the same for each year of your course providing you complete it in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Additional Information

A degree typically comprises 360 credits, a DipHE 240 credits, a CertHE 120 credits, and an integrated masters 480 credits. The tuition fee for the placement year for those courses that offer this option is £1,850, subject to inflationary increases based on government policy and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study). The tuition fee for the study year abroad for those courses that offer this option is £1,385, subject to inflationary increases based on government policy and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).

Part-time students may take a maximum of 90 credits each academic year.

Additional Costs

Specialist costs.

Compulsory estimate : £300

Optional estimate : £300

On our creative writing course, students must have access to a copy of all set texts. Primary texts are held in the University library but students often prefer to have their own copy. Prices vary but many are cheaply available and set texts are often available online for no cost. Students often buy texts second hand, and there is a book exchange in the atrium of the Geoffrey Manton building. Students often choose to buy their own laptops but computers are available on campus, and laptops and iPads are available for students to borrow (estimated costs are £300 for a laptop). Students may also need to print their assignments and other documents - campus printing costs start from 5p per page.

Some option units include trips to relevant events or venues, theatres, exhibitions and libraries, which are all optional activities.

Find out more about financing your studies and whether you may qualify for one of our bursaries and scholarships

First Generation

Dedicated funding and support for first generation students

Career Prospects

Graduates enter a wide range of careers, especially media work and teaching, where their transferable skills are particularly relevant. Recent graduates have become school and college teachers, and some have gained employment in fields as diverse as banking, finance, manufacturing and theatre.

There is also the opportunity to engage in further study and professional training, for example some of our graduates go on to study MA/MFA Creative Writing at postgraduate level at our Manchester Writing School under the creative direction of Professor Carol Ann Duffy DBE (Poet Laureate 2009-2019). More than 100 former students of the Manchester Writing School have embarked upon careers as published writers.

Want to know more

Got a question.

You can apply for the full-time option of this course through UCAS.

Institution code: M40

Apply for other study options:

Please contact our course enquiries team.

Get advice and support on making a successful application.

You can review our current Terms and Conditions before you make your application. If you are successful with your application, we will send you up to date information alongside your offer letter.

Manchester is your city, be part of it

Your new home, your new city, why university, related courses, film and media studies, english and multimedia journalism, english and creative writing.

Programme Review Our programmes undergo an annual review and major review (normally at 6 year intervals) to ensure an up-to-date curriculum supported by the latest online learning technology. For further information on when we may make changes to our programmes, please see the changes section of our Terms and Conditions .

Important Notice This online prospectus provides an overview of our programmes of study and the University. We regularly update our online prospectus so that our published course information is accurate. Please check back to the online prospectus before making an application to us to access the most up to date information for your chosen course of study.

Confirmation of Regulator The Manchester Metropolitan University is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education in England. More information on the role of the OfS and its regulatory framework can be found at officeforstudents.org.uk .

All higher education providers registered with the OfS must have a student protection plan in place. The student protection plan sets out what students can expect to happen should a course, campus, or institution close. Access our current Student Protection Plan .

Creative Manchester

Music in Mind

A webinar on the impact of training care home staff in improvised music-making for people living with dementia

Creative Industries and Innovation

Our research theme exploring innovative research that can benefit local areas, create new jobs, and advance the industries as a whole.

Creative and Civic Futures

Our research theme focusing on questions of climate change, community, and civil issues including minority groups and migrant experiences.

Creativity, Health and Wellbeing

Our research theme exploring the tangible health benefits of the arts and creative practice.

Creative Manchester's journey to research platform and beyond.

Current partners

Bridging The University of Manchester, the cultural sector and the community.

Join our mailing list

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter and general updates.

Read our news

Keep up to date with our latest announcements.

Join the conversation on social media.

Discover the latest research, work, and achievements of Creative Manchester and our partners.

Stay up-to-date with information about upcoming events, lectures and exhibitions.

Opportunities

Creative Manchester welcomes new partners that wish to support the arts and culture industry.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing The Write Stuff for Writers

Credit Hours

View Courses

100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Grow Your Writing Passion into a Career with Liberty’s Online MFA in Creative Writing

Many people write creatively, but few hone their skills to develop their writing craft to its highest form. Even fewer learn the other skills it takes to become a successful writer, such as the steps needed to get a book published and into the hands of readers. Liberty’s 100% online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing can help you develop your writing passion into a career so you can set your works free to impact culture and the world.

Employers in every industry need professionals who have strong writing skills, so you can be confident that your ability to write effectively can also help set you apart in your current career. With in-demand writing expertise and the ability to customize your degree with electives in literature or writing practice, Liberty’s online MFA in Creative Writing can help you achieve your professional writing goals.

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is designed to help you build on your writing skills with specific workshops dedicated to the craft of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting. With a work-in-progress approach to writing practice and mentorship from our faculty of experienced writers and scholars, you can learn the specific skills you need to make your writing stand out.

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing?

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is mainly offered in an 8-week course format, and our tuition rate for graduate programs hasn’t increased in 9 years. Through our program, you can study the writing process and develop your creative skills through workshops with experienced writing professionals. With our flexible format, you can grow in your creative writing while continuing to do what is important to you.

As a terminal degree, the online MFA in Creative Writing can also help you pursue opportunities to teach writing at the K-12 or college level. You will gain comprehensive and in-depth exposure to writing, literature, publishing, and many other professional writing skills that you can pass on to students. Partner with the Liberty family and learn under faculty who have spent years in the field you love. Your career in professional writing starts here.

What Will You Study in Our MFA in Creative Writing?

The MFA in Creative Writing program is designed to help you become an excellent creative writer across the genres of creative fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and poetry. You can learn how to produce aesthetically and culturally engaged creative works while gaining professional knowledge and practice. You will also study foundational contemporary literature so that you have a background in studying important works to draw on for your writing.

To help you in your professional writing, you will also study many essential skills in editing, layout, and the business of publishing so that you can best position yourself for success in the market. Through your creative writing courses and workshops, you can develop your craft so that you will be ready for your thesis project.

Here are a few examples of the skills Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing can help you master:

• Marketing your projects and pursuing new writing opportunities
• Organizing writing and adapting it to different types of writing
• Tailoring writing to specific audiences and markets
• Understanding what makes art effective, compelling, and impactful
• Writing compelling stories that engage readers

Potential Career Opportunities

• Book and magazine writer
• Business communications specialist
• Creative writing instructor
• Publications editor
• Screenwriter
• Website copy editor and writer
• Writing manager

Featured Courses

• ENGL 600 – Editing, Layout, and Publishing
• ENGL 601 – Writing as Cultural Engagement
• ENGL 603 – Literary Theory and Practice
• WRIT 610 – Writing Fiction

Degree Information

• This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences .
• View the Graduate Arts and Sciences Course Guides (login required).
• Download and review the Graduate Manual for MFA .

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

All Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid Forms & Eligibility

Scholarship Opportunities

Admission Information for the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form .
• Creative Writing Sample – A creative writing sample of one creative writing work of at least 2,500 words or a culmination of creative writing samples totaling 2,500 words.*
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

*A sample of one or more poems totaling a minimum of 750 words may also be submitted. Song lyrics are not accepted at this time as writing samples.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
• Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
• If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application .
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Dual Enrollment

Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.

Transcript Policies

Unofficial college transcript policy.

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

• Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
• Cumulative GPA
• A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
• Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

[email protected]

Liberty University Online Admissions Verification

1971 University Blvd.

Lynchburg, VA 24515

Ready to Apply?

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
• Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

• Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
• Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course) *
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an mfa in creative writing.

A Master of Fine Arts degree, or MFA, is a terminal degree in an artistic craft that demonstrates that you have achieved the highest level of training and skill in your discipline. Like a doctorate, an MFA often allows you to teach courses at the graduate level while also providing many opportunities for scholarship and leadership in education. If you want to grow your creative writing skills to become the best writer you can be, then the Master of Fine Arts can help you get there.

How will students work towards developing their writing skills?

With creative writing workshops and a thesis project, you will receive support and guidance to help you become the best writer you can be.

How long will it take to complete the MFA in Creative Writing?

You can complete the MFA in Creative Writing in just 48 credit hours!

Inner Navigation

• Why Choose Liberty?
• What Will You Study?
• Admission Information

Have questions?

Are you ready to change your future?

Apply FREE This Week*

Request Information

*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

Request Information About a Program

Request info about liberty university online, what program are you interested in, choose a program level.

Choose a program level

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Certificate

Select a Field of Study

Select a field of study

Select a Program

Select a program

Next: Contact Info

Legal full name.

Enter legal full name

Legal Last Name

Enter legal last name

Enter an email address

Enter a phone number

Full Address

Enter an address

Apt., P.O. Box, or can’t find your address? Enter it manually instead .

Select a Country

Street Address

Enter Street Address

Enter State

ZIP/Postal Code

Enter Zip Code

Back to automated address search

Start my application now for FREE