FOI_26-202 Content warnings for 2026-27 BA (Hons) English Literature degree.
Date of response: 21 September 2026
We have now considered your request of 31 August 2026 for the following information:
Please note that I am only interested in information held by the School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing.
Please note that I am only interested in information which relates to any and or all of the following modules on the BA (Hons) English Literature degree.
English Literature: Beginnings
Epic Story Telling and Ancient Myth
Witchcraft, Magic, and Belief in Early Europe
Medieval Writing: Quest, Fable, and Romance (pre-1789)
Victorian Writing
Shakespeare (pre-1789)
Please note that I am only interested in information which relates to the Academic year 2026/2027. If information for the forthcoming academic year is not yet available, please provide information for the most recent year in which the module was offered. Please specify that year.
Please note that the reference to warnings and or guidance and or advice in the questions below should be taken to mean those warnings and or pieces of guidance and or pieces of advice which alert students to content and or portrayals and or plots and or characters and or ideas which they might find troubling and or disturbing and or traumatic and or triggering. The warnings and or guidance and or advice could cover any one of the things in the list below...
Racism.
Xenophobia.
Sexism
Misogyny
Homophobia
Transphobia
Ableism.
Ageism.
Students may also be warned/advised about the depictions of and references to death and or violence and or rape and or torture and or bloodshed. They may also be warned/advised about the depictions of and or references to childbirth and or abortion and or infant mortality and or cruelty to children. They may also be warned/advised about depictions of and references to divorce and or infidelity. They may also be advised/warned about depictions of and references to sex in general and or sexual exploitation and prostitution in particular. They may also be warned/advised about depictions of and references to warfare and or slavery and or imprisonment and or crime and or torture. They may also warned/advised about depictions of and references to poverty and or social inequality, and or class and or environmental decline and or animal cruelty. They may also be warned/advised about depictions of and references to horror and or ghosts and or witchcraft and or witches and or wizardry and or magic and or black magic and or myth and or the afterlife.
I am interested in all guidance and or warnings and or advice which includes any of the themes and issues listed above.
The Request For Information
Question 1. During the academic year 2026/2027 will students taking part in any of the modules listed above receive a warning and or guidance and or advice which alerts them to content and or depictions and or plots or ideas which they may find offensive and or disturbing and or discriminatory and or triggering of their own personal experience.
Our response:
Yes.
Question 2. If so, can you identify the module (s).
Our response:
Please see accompanying document, our ref: FOI_26-202 Appendix A.
Question 3. Do any of these warnings and or pieces guidance and or pieces of advice apply to the entire module. If so, can you provide a copy of this warnings/guidance/advice. I am interested in all warnings/guidance/advice irrespective of how they are communicated to students.
Our response:
No.
Question 4. Do any of the aforementioned warnings and or guidance and or pieces of advice apply to specific aspects of the module such as particular lectures and or seminars and or themed weeks and or workshops. If the answer is yes, can you provide a copy of this warnings/guidance/advice. I am interested in all warnings/guidance/advice irrespective of how they are communicated to students.
Can you say what the warnings/guidance/advice relate to. For example, do they relate to a particular module, lecture, or seminar. If so, can you identify the module, lecture, or seminar.
Our response:
Please see accompanying document, our ref: FOI_26-202 Appendix A.
Question 5. Will students on any of the modules receive warnings and or guidance and or advice in relation to any of the following.
a....Any individual novel
b... The work of any individual novelist
c... Any individual play.
d... The work of any individual playwright.
e... Any individual poem
f....The work of any individual poet.
g... Any Ancient Myths
h... Any particular literary genres or writing traditions.
i....Any feature film adaptations of any novels and or stories and or plays and or poems.
j....Any individual stage productions.
k....Any television adaptations of particular novels and or stories and or poems and or plays.
If the answer to any of the above (a to k) is yes, can you provide a copy of these warnings and or pieces of guidance and or pieces of advice.
Can you state what the warning applies to. See List A - K.
Our response:
Please see accompanying document, our ref: FOI_26-202 Appendix A.