English and Creative Writing

English and creative writing is a degree that develops two practices that naturally nourish each other. The close study of literature across periods and genres makes you a more attentive writer, giving you a thorough understanding of how skilled writers achieve their effects and make their choices. Creative writing, in turn, gives you an inside perspective on the craft of making texts, which deepens your appreciation and analysis of the literature you study.

The combination develops both a critical voice and a creative one, and most graduates find that the two inform each other in lasting ways.

At Leeds Beckett University, this three-year full-time programme benefits from a city that has positioned itself as a genuine centre of culture and the arts in the north of England. Leeds's museums, galleries, theatres, film production companies, recording studios, and literary events, including Leeds Lit Fest and poetry performance events, provide a rich context for developing your creative practice and your critical understanding of how culture is made and circulated. The programme has direct working relationships with Leeds museums and galleries and with regional cultural events, giving you a connection to professional cultural practice that extends well beyond the lecture hall.

The degree includes a year abroad, broadening your literary and creative perspective. The typical entry tariff of 104 points reflects the accessible character of the programme.

You will develop as both a critical reader and a practising writer, with the research skills, analytical capabilities, and creative confidence that the combined programme builds.

Graduates pursue careers in writing, publishing, journalism, education, the cultural sector, communications, and the wider creative industries. Postgraduate study in creative writing, English literature, or publishing is a natural continuation.