Celtic and English Literature

Celtic and English literature brings together two of the major literary traditions of the British Isles, offering a genuinely comparative approach to the literature of these islands across their full historical span. Celtic literature, which encompasses Welsh, Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and the medieval and early modern literary traditions associated with them, represents a body of work that is too often overlooked but is of extraordinary richness and antiquity. English literature provides one of the most studied literary traditions in the world, from medieval texts through to contemporary writing.

Together they offer a different and more complete picture of what literature in these islands has been.

At the University of Edinburgh you will engage with both traditions over four years full time, reading Celtic texts in translation and developing familiarity with the linguistic and cultural contexts in which they were produced, alongside close study of English literature across periods and genres. You will develop skills in close reading, textual interpretation, and historical contextualisation, and you will encounter methodological debates about how we read and interpret literary texts across linguistic and cultural distance. A year abroad is part of the degree, extending your experience of different academic cultures.

Edinburgh's strong Celtic and English departments, and the city's own literary history, make it an excellent place to study this combination.

Graduates go on to careers in publishing, journalism, education, arts administration, heritage, broadcasting, academic research, and cultural organisations. Many continue to postgraduate study in Celtic studies, English literature, comparative literature, or related fields, and the degree is excellent preparation for research into the literary cultures of the British Isles.