The teaching of creative writing in the UK began at UEA fifty years ago, and we are still widely seen as the home of creative writing in this country.  

You will be studying at a university rich in famous creative writing alumni, including Booker Prize winner Ian McEwan and Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro. You will develop your craft as a writer under the supervision of world-renowned novelists, poets and scriptwriters, while benefitting from first-class literature teaching.  

 In addition to the creative writing workshops offered by our pioneering and world-famous, 'English Literature with Creative Writing' degree, this course offers you a suite of modules designed to help you enter the working writer's world once you graduate. They'll enable you as writer to work across disciplines, to function in a professional context, and to get actively involved in the production, publication and performance of your work.  

In your study of English literature, you’ll discover a wealth of writers from the middle ages right up to poets and novelists writing now. You might explore diverse literary traditions from across the globe, and you’ll tackle a heady mix of genres, which currently range from epic to children’s literature, crime writing to Latin American fiction, tragedy to biography.  

Norwich is an extraordinary place in which to be a writer. It’s England’s first UNESCO City of Literature, awarded in recognition of the city’s vivid literary heritage and vibrant contemporary writing scene. You’ll immerse yourself in this community -- you might find yourself sharing your work with a packed audience of students and professional writers at UEA Live, or hearing readings from dozens of internationally leading literary figures.  

We say that UEA is the place where literature lives – when you join the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, you’ll join a unique and supportive community of critics, writers, and drama practitioners, who bring literature to life every day.  

ABOUT

The writer's world has never been more diverse, exciting, and collaborative than it is today. Whether you're eager to embark on creative and community exchanges, to make your words come alive in the imaginations of new audiences, or to work across literary, visual, and digital media, this is the world you'll want to join.     

You'll hone your skills as a writer while exploring literatures from a host of genres, countries, and time periods. You will be able to take all the same creative writing workshops (in poetry, prose, and scriptwriting) as our English with Creative Writing students, but you'll also have the chance to take unique modules designed to enable you, once you graduate, to enter the working writer's world. Through a lively mix of seminars, workshops and writing world experience, you'll develop skills in working across disciplines and media, in community engagement, and in publishing and presenting your own work. 

PLACEMENT YEAR AND STUDY ABROAD

You have the option to apply to study abroad for one semester of your second year. Study abroad is a wonderfully enriching life experience – you will develop confidence and adaptability and will have the chance to deepen your understanding of writing while learning about another culture. At UEA, you’ll be surrounded by the many students we welcome from around the world to study with us. 

AFTER THE COURSE

You could go on to work as a prose fiction or non-fiction writer, poet or scriptwriter, or go into many careers in arts, media, publishing, politics, charities and NGOs, teaching or the commercial sector. You will be a first-rate writer, equipped with skills of critical reading, independence, time management, teamwork, and more, which are highly valued by employers. You’ll also be well placed to study for a postgraduate degree, including one of our world-famous Creative Writing MAs.  

Our Careers Service is here to support you in launching your career by advising with CV writing, internships, and much more. Every year we run an event, Working with Words, where you’ll have the chance to meet and hear from successful UEA alumni from across the creative industries.  

UEA also has its own in-house publishing project, Egg Box, along with many other exciting initiatives that give you opportunities to turn your love of writing into a foundation for your future career.  

CAREER DESTINATIONS

Examples of careers you could enter include:  

• Freelance writer   

• Scriptwriter  

• Publishing   

• Community and Arts-related Projects  

• Media  

• Marketing  

• Communication and PR