Student review [#55434] for BA Hons English Literature, Creative Writing and Practice
at Lancaster University

A 2nd year international student here. Lancaster University was my first choice.

Lancaster Uni has a long history of teaching creative writing (almost 50 years if not more), a good standing in the subject tables and is not pretentious. That’s the reason why genre fiction can flourish among students and they are not looked down on. So if you write YA or romance, it can be a great place to study as the department has dedicated modules. There’s also a Science Fiction module for English Literature students and I think they are introducing even more similar modules so it’s extremely genre-friendly if you don’t want to delve into literary fiction writing.

Some English Literature and Creative Writing modules can be hit and miss, but the department is highly responsive and will make according changes. Creative Writing seminar groups are small and students have an opportunity to go to 1-to-1 tutorials with their tutors, but I whish they there longer and held more frequently. The quality of Creative Writing seminars can also fluctuate, depending on the level of the students, but my overall experience is positive. Definitely coming out of the programme as a more confident writer.

English Lit side is challenging, demanding, but rewarding. Lectures are informative and interesting. I’d say the biggest win is the programme itself: spending equal time on English Lit and Creative Writing is the perfect combo for aspiring writers.