English Literature and Creative Writing

My name is Zoë Skoulding and I'm Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing. 

You'll be joining a community of people who love words, they love books, they love literature in all its forms. 

Doing a degree with us means discovering new authors, new ways of thinking about reading, new ways of writing, and discovering yourself as a writer. Whether that's in your creative work or finding your critical voice in dialogue with what you're reading. 

The beginning of a degree is a tremendously exciting time, it's a real journey and we look forward to sharing it with you.

English Literature - During your first year, you’ll attend lectures each week that offer stimulating introductions to the novels, poems, short stories, plays, and films studied. You’ll attend literature seminars, where you’ll enjoy guided discussion and tailored activities that enhance your understanding of these texts and relevant contexts. Make sure to allocate time every day for reading - the beautiful Shankland library or one of Bangor's lovely coffee shops provides a perfect backdrop.

Creative Writing - During your first year, you’ll take part in seminars and workshops that offer the chance to not only write, but to examine novels, short stories and poetry, and to share your own draft work in progress. These sessions offer exciting routes into writing through a variety of approaches, including in-class prompts and takeaway prompts, field trips, and collaborative exercises. When it comes to sharing your work, our workshops provide a space in which your unique writing voice can start to rise with confidence.

In first year, you will typically have 9-12 weekly contact hours. Each English literature module includes lectures and seminar. Creative Writing modules are taught through workshops. In addition, every tutor and lecturer will have a weekly office hour, which gives another opportunity for feedback and contact. Some modules also include regular timetabled study groups, in which you can informally discuss texts with fellow students. While there is a strong emphasis on independent reading and study, seminars and lectures are designed to guide your studies and prepare you for assessments.

English Literature - Assessments come in many shapes and forms on our modules, but they are always designed to help develop your skills, boost your employability, and allow you to engage with course material in intellectually stimulating ways. While you can expect to research and write essays and give presentations, you will also have opportunities to showcase your ideas and research in alternative ways, for instance, by producing creative responses to the texts we study. Sometimes, you will be able to choose between a more traditional essay-style assignment and an alternative assessment. A small number of modules feature exams or class tests.

Creative Writing - Assessments take the form of a portfolio of your creative work. The portfolio is supplemented by a critical reflection, which provides you with the opportunity to focus on your developing practice as a writer and to discuss not only how you edited and progressed your creative work, but also how your reading and the specific concerns of the module have contributed to its development. There will also be opportunities to write reviews, creative essays, and to take part in presentations – all of which we warmly encourage you to approach in original and creative ways that reflect your practice as a writer.

While the exact volume of reading depends on your classes, English Literature modules typically cover a longer text (such as a novel, a play, or a short story), a film, or a selection of poems every week. Creative Writers will often work with shorter extracts in class but are also required to read across various forms, which can range from novels to poetry collections, depending on the module studied. Sometimes, you will be asked to read a critical essay or theoretical piece to prepare for seminars. We carefully design modules to help you manage the reading load by alternating longer and shorter texts, but planning is key! We always encourage students to plan their reading well in advance and offer guidance on how to tackle the reading load for specific modules.

Yes, you will be encouraged to share your work with your tutor and your peers in the workshop setting. It's important to say that no one is ever forced to do this! However, most students find workshops, not only a lot of fun, but also most beneficial in terms of moving through the editing process. Workshops are friendly, supportive, safe, and most importantly, push you to make your writing the best it can be. Over time, students tend to find their confidence soars in this space and many go on to enjoy sharing their work in progress at our open mic night, Versify.

Yes! There are many opportunities to engage with writing outside the classroom. Bangor University has an active Writers' Guild which meets twice a week. Here you are invited to workshop, chat, discuss or simply crack on with your own writing.

Y Llechan (The Slate) is our visiting writer programme which runs in both semesters. Y Llechan offers the opportunity to hear renowned and emerging writers reading their work and to engage in conversation with them in Q&A sessions.

Versify is the name of our monthly open mic night at a local tap room. Attended by staff and students alike, this well-loved evening offers you the chance to share your work or simply sit back and enjoy the spoken word.