MA/PgDip/PgCert Creative Writing: Innovation and Experiment

The aim of this course is to encourage writers to challenge and develop themselves creatively whilst informing themselves about the contexts and techniques of contemporary literature. Graduates may use it as part of their career development in teaching, publishing or journalism or as a means of access to doctoral study.

Career Prospects

Previous graduates have gone onto further study and training and participated in literary culture through organizing literary competitions and publishing creative work in magazines. Two of the 2010-11 cohort are beginning PhDs in Creative Writing in 2011 (at the University of Northumbria and the University of Salford) and one is undertaking an internship at a local small press poetry publisher (The Knives Forks and Spoons Press).

Alumni Profile

Mignotte Mekuria (graduate of the 2010-11 cohort)

‘I knew that I would enjoy the MA Creative Writing: Innovation and Experiment because I was following my heart in studying it. It far exceeded my expectations. It is not merely a place to learn how to write, rather it is an introduction into literature itself. Studying literary theory, sharing and critiquing work in writing workshops and engaging with experimental techniques combined to strengthen my work as a writer and deepen my appreciation of literature as a reader. During the course I also got to meet other writers, attend fascinating seminars and for the first time, became aware of Manchester as a city with a thriving literary scene. The University of Salford is a wonderful and engaging place to study; students and staff are friendly and helpful and the facilities, from training sessions to careers guidance, are all easy to access. I loved the university so much I have stayed on to do my PhD. I encourage anyone with a passion for writing to look into the course, it does not disappoint.’

Industry Links

The course benefits from a regular programme of visiting writers to the English Subject Group through the ‘Vital Signs’ and ‘Drama Workshops’ series. In addition, at least two workshops per academic year are convened by key figures in innovative writing. Past visitors have included: Robert Sheppard, Phil Davenport, Allen Fisher, Camille Martin, Carrie Etter, Philip Kuhn and Tony Trehy. These events create opportunities for local, national and international networking.

Other local links include the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester, which hosts an annual showcase of our students’ work; Bury Art Gallery’s Text Festival (curated by Tony Trehy); Community Interest Group arthur+martha (directed by Phil Davenport and Lois Blackburn), The Knives Forks and Spoons Press (Alec Newman) and The Other Room poetry series (co-run by James Davies, Tom Jenks and Scott Thurston). These links benefit students through creating opportunities to engage with the latest contemporary practices, to network with established writers, to perform and publish their work and to learn about teaching and publishing creative writing.

Further Study

Postgraduate research in Creative Writing is co-ordinated by the Creative Writing, Performance and Innovation cluster, headed by Dr Scott Thurston. The Cluster’s key strength is in the practice and study of innovative writing, and its research interests include experimental and literary fiction, young adult fiction, innovative poetry, visual text, scriptwriting, devising and directing for stage, performance, adaptation, autobiography and translation. Find out more