MA Creative Writing Poetry (Part time)

Key details

MA CREATIVE WRITING POETRY (PART TIME)

Start Year

2020

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Degree of Master of Arts

Duration (years)

In our MA Creative Writing (Poetry) we aim to support you in writing poetry of a publishable standard, and to create an encouraging but rigorous environment. You’ll join UEA’s renowned creative writing community in Norwich, a beautiful and historic UNESCO City of Literature.

During the one-year (or two-year part-time) course of intensive reading, writing, exploration and risk-taking, you’ll develop a body of work close in length to a first collection. Through your two Poetry Workshops, you will be encouraged to test, extend and refine your poetic technique – an experience that is often exciting and sometimes uncomfortable, but always rewarding. With this in mind, we also give you the chance to learn more about publishing procedures and opportunities, readings, literary awards and more. In the Describing Poetry module that accompanies the first Poetry Workshop, you will be introduced to some of the key thinking about poetry throughout literary history, and encouraged to explore creative-critical approaches to your work. You will also choose an optional module from a wide range of creative and critical modules across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. You will benefit from the ways in which the study of poetry enhances analytical, conceptual and verbal skills, as well as refine your powers of precision, argument and logic.

As part of UEA’s world-famous writing community, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from some of the UK’s leading poets and poetry editors, and to benefit from their insight and expertise. Our annual anthology is professionally published and distributed to a key list of poetry houses and other contacts.

UEA is also part of a thriving network of regional poetry activity, which offers plenty of opportunities to gain performance experience and to get involved in publication.

About

You’ve been writing poetry for so long that it’s become a vital part of your life. You may have tried one-off workshops or short courses but find that they are no longer enough. So now is the time to take it further!

This MA is your chance to immerse yourself in writing and reading, and discover more about your imaginative, artistic and intellectual capabilities as a poet. You’ll work intensively on your writing practice with expert guidance and support. And you’ll be part of a group that’s of a consistently high standard, which offers (and expects in return) rigorous feedback and discussion.

An academic context allows you to develop yourself through learning more about poetry across time and place, about form and technique, concept and theory, cause and effect. It’s a chance to read the kinds of poetry you’ve never come across before, and to discover the potential of poetry beyond the forms and approaches you already know.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

There are coursework submissions for the Poetry Workshop in January and May, each of 12 poems and a critical commentary. Your dissertation consists of approximately 15 poems plus a critical commentary and is submitted in September.

The assessment for the Describing Poetry module is a 5,000-word essay or piece of creative-critical work. Assessments for optional modules vary, but are typically a 5,000-word essay or an equivalent portfolio of creative and/or critical work.

Structure

The core element of the MA is the weekly three-hour workshop in a group of around 12 students. The workshop structure varies but generally consists of close discussion of the work of three students plus a session on some aspect of poetry. Work is circulated a week in advance and annotated in detail before being returned to its author. The tutor may also circulate texts for discussion. You’ll get the chance to attend a follow-up tutorial with your class tutor each time your work is discussed in these workshops.

In the second semester you will choose from a number of optional modules ranging from publishing to translation.

In the first semester of the second year of your part-time degree, you will take a creative-critical module, Describing Poetry. You will have regular individual tutorials and extensive written feedback on your coursework.

There is no workshop in the summer semester (May to June), during this time in your second year, you will have one-to-one sessions with your dissertation tutor in preparation for the Dissertation. You will also attend a specialised Creative Writing Research Methodology Conference in May, with the entire MA Creative Writing cohort. This day includes plenary sessions, panels and small-group breakout sessions.

In July and August of your second year you’ll work independently, although you may, with your peers, continue the workshop in some form. Over this period you will write your dissertation, which will be a body of poetry and a critical commentary on it.

For part-time students, then, in your first year you will take the first workshop module and then your optional module and, in your second year, ‘Describing Poetry’ and then the second workshop module before taking part in the Creative Writing Research Methodology Conference in May and moving onto work on your dissertation.

Teaching and Learning

During the Autumn semester of 2020/21, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teaching for this MA will take place online, where you'll have live, in-depth, face-to-face discussions with tutors and your peers. This immersive online teaching will be complemented and enriched by in-person, small-group, tutor-led learning opportunities on campus. This will enable you to get just as much out of UEA's exceptional resources and expertise as ever in a way that's fulfilling, flexible, and safe, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We envisage a fuller return to in-person teaching in the Spring semester, with the precise balance between online and in-person learning being determined by the best public health advice, government guidelines, and university policy.

You’ll be taught by published poets with extensive experience in their field through workshops, seminars and tutorials.

Our body of teaching staff in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative writing includes award-winning poets Tiffany Atkinson and Sophie Robinson, and tutors such as Peter Womack, Stephen Benson, Steve Waters, Rachel Potter and Jeremy Noel-Tod. Expect to be inspired by leading figures in the literary world such as internationally renowned novelist, poet, essayist, Booker Prize judge and musician Amit Chaudhuri and Costa Award-winning biographer, novelist and literary historian, Rebecca Stott.

Independent study

From week to week you will be expected to spend a significant amount of time on independent study, writing and redrafting poems, preparing feedback on your peers’ work, and reading widely in poetry and relevant criticism. And you’ll work independently towards your dissertation towards the end of your course.

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Assessment for Year 2

Structure

The core element of the MA is the weekly three-hour workshop in a group of around 12 students. The workshop structure varies but generally consists of close discussion of the work of three students plus a session on some aspect of poetry. Work is circulated a week in advance and annotated in detail before being returned to its author. The tutor may also circulate texts for discussion. Each workshop of your work is accompanied by a one-to-one tutorial.

In addition to the weekly workshop, in the first semester you will take a creative-critical module, Describing Poetry, and in the second semester you will choose from a number of optional modules ranging from publishing to translation. You will have regular individual tutorials and extensive written feedback on your coursework.

There is no workshop in the summer semester (May to June), during which time you will have one-to-one sessions with your dissertation tutor. In preparation for the Dissertation, you will attend a specialised Creative Writing Research Methodology Conference in May, with the entire MA Creative Writing cohort. This day includes plenary sessions, panels and small-group breakout sessions.

In July and August you’ll work independently, although you may, with your peers, continue the workshop in some form. Over this period you will write your dissertation, which will be a body of poetry and a critical commentary on it.

For part-time students, in your first year you will take the first workshop module and then your optional module and, in your second year, ‘Describing Poetry’ and then the second workshop module before taking part in the Creative Writing Research Methodology Conference in May and moving onto work on your dissertation.

Teaching and Learning

Teaching

You’ll be taught by published poets with extensive experience in their field through workshops, seminars and tutorials.

Our body of teaching staff in the School of Literature, Drama and Creative writing includes award-winning poets Tiffany Atkinson, Sophie Robinson and Denise Riley, and tutors such as Peter Womack, Stephen Benson, Steve Waters, Rachel Potter and Jeremy Noel-Tod. Expect to be inspired by leading figures in the literary world such as internationally renowned novelist, poet, essayist, Booker Prize judge and musician Amit Chaudhuri and Costa Award-winning biographer, novelist and literary historian, Rebecca Stott.

Independent study

Admissions Live Chat

Open Days

This is the first year of your taught Masters programme.

Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: POETRY 1

Code LDCC7002A

Credits 20

Only students who are registered for the MA in Creative Writing: Poetry may enrol for this module.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

GOOD GOOD GIRLS AND GOOD BAD BOYS? AMERICAN FICTIONS OF INNOCENCE

Code AMAL7000B

Credits 20

Oscar Wilde wrote that 'The youth of America is their oldest tradition; it has been going on now for three hundred years'. Is this true? If so, why? This module aims to account for the preoccupation with youth in America, focusing particularly on the concept of 'innocence'. Drawing on a wide array of fictional and theoretical works, you’ll consider the following questions: What is at stake in America's investment in innocence? What power interests and ideologies are maintained by repeatedly describing America as 'innocent'? How is this investment in innocence revised in different historical moments? How is it challenged? How is innocence (and loss of innocence) depicted differently for female, male, white and non-white protagonists? At the end of this module, you’ll have had the opportunity to reflect on these questions in seminars, and pursued your own interests in assessed work (presentation and essay). You will also have developed your communication, writing and research skills.

ANALYSING HOLLYWOOD CINEMA

Code AMAM7011B

Credits 20

'Hollywood' as an industry, cultural institution and maker of films has dominated the global cinematic imagination for decades. On this module, we investigate the history, production cultures and texts made by the US film industry from its classic period to contemporary filmmaking. This will include analysing Hollywood from a range of perspectives, which may include things like studio filmmaking, independent filmmaking, genre filmmaking and the blockbuster. In doing so we will discover the multiplicity of cinemas at work within the concept of Hollywood.

NOVEL HISTORY

Code LDCC7008B

Credits 20

We are currently witnessing a renaissance in history writing. Sales of historical novels continue to rise steeply. Societies have formed; new prizes have been established. A number of eminent historians are turning from fact to fiction. What can the historical novel do in terms of reaching the past that more conventional historical accounts cannot do? Can it challenge long-told historical narratives, propose new ones or give us new vantage points? You will cross the boundaries between literature, history and creative writing to explore the possibilities (and paradoxes) of historical fiction. You’ll study the history of the historical novel and read critical and theoretical essays about the writing of history alongside examples of ground-breaking, innovative or revisionist modern and contemporary historical fiction. Books studied might include for instance Mantel's Wolf Hall, Graham Swift's Waterland, Rhys' Wide Sargasso Sea, Toni Morrison's Beloved and Emma Donohue's collection of short stories, The Woman Who Gave Birth to Rabbits. You will also explore ideas around 'history of the emotions' and the 'history of mentalities'. You will present work in progress in the workshop format as you move towards the submission of either a final piece of historical fiction (short story or part of a novel) or a critical essay or a portfolio that includes both critical and creative work.

ADAPTATION AND INTERPRETATION

Code LDCC7010B

Credits 20

Critical reading and creative writing collide when adapting a text for performance in another medium. The very process forces a string of questions: Is it possible to separate a story from its expression? What, if any, are the obligations owed to the source text? Must the adaptation always be ‘secondary’? Can we define a ‘good’ adaptation? The questions only grow more interesting if we consider changes in reception and more complex when we alter era or cultural setting. This module focuses on key questions in dramatic adaptation, establishing a foundation in basic theory and then focusing on readings of source works and screenings or performances of adaptations. Seminar discussions probe the choices offered by original texts and explore the possibilities and limitations inherent in different forms. In the later sessions, you will have the opportunity to workshop an adaptation for a final project. Writers are expected to produce scripts, while theatre directors will have to option to produce a script or a performance. The module is a must for scriptwriters, but no prior scriptwriting experience is necessary as the seminars teach the basic techniques of dramatic writing. Class workshop will further develop skills in the specific dramatic forms.

PUBLISHING - A PRACTICAL APPROACH

Code LDCC7012B

Credits 20

Are you interested in how a book is selected for publication, in how to write for an online readership, or in learning how to edit? Whether you are a writer or a would-be publisher, this module will give you an introduction to the modern publishing industry and equip you with some of the practical skills involved in the successful publication of texts. As well as becoming acquainted with the structure and economics of the contemporary publishing world, the opportunities and challenges posed by digitalisation, you will examine the process whereby books are chosen by literary agents and publishers, review principles of text and jacket design, acquire basic copyediting and proofreading skills, learn tips for publicising books online, write jacket 'blurbs' and press releases. You will also engage with the principles and practice of blog-writing, with copyright law and aspects of publishing finance. In recent years speakers such as Chris Hamilton-Emery from Salt, Philip Gwyn Jones of Scribe, Rosie Sherwood of art-publisher Elbow Room and Eloise Wales of The Literary Platform have addressed the seminars. We have examined correspondence between authors and publishers in the UEA Archive of Contemporary Writing and visited the Jarrold's Print Museum in Norwich and the London International Book Fair. Towards the end of the module you will also have to opportunity to become involved in the editing of the annual MA Creative Writing anthologies. Assessment is by formal essay OR creative-critical assignment such as a literary blog.

THEORY AND PRACTICE OF FICTION

Code LDCC7015B

Credits 20

This module is designed to complement the prose fiction workshop but is open to students on related programmes. You’ll be provided with creative and critical knowledge in a single experiential burst, by exploring as they are relevant to writing fiction such topics as time, place, dramatic structure, character and concinnity. We’ll also give consideration to professional issues confronting novelists, from writer’s block to editing, contracts and dealing with the media. The module presents the writer as both artist and supplier of intellectual property to a market, while examining that and other tensions critically. Reading, writing and analysis happen alongside each other. You’ll examine fictional, critical and professional texts, and write exercises illuminating the issue at hand. Assessment is by creative writing coursework with a critical commentary and you’ll also be expected to make presentations on topics of your choice.

CONTEMPORARY FICTION

Code LDCC7020B

Credits 20

Various attempts at (sub-)categorising contemporary fiction interpret it as a departure from previous aesthetics or a response to political or historical events or movements: post-modern; post-colonial; post-feminist; post-communist; post-9/11; post-millennial; post-national; even post-post-modern etc. As a prefix, “post- suggests supersedence rather than novelty; at worst it is merely an aspirational syllable. Its proliferation co-exists with more conventional attempts at temporal taxonomy such as monographs and student guides dedicated to specific decades. One way of reading “post”-something-or-other is to think of it as an engagement with, and critical reassessment of, the past it so assiduously hyphenates: its literary conventions, cultural heritage, philosophical traditions, political ideologies, and - paradoxically - its long shadows way beyond the present moment. The manifestations of these engagements and reassessments can be rather contradictory. The memory boom of the 1990s put paid to claims about “the end of history” or scepticism over Grand Narratives. The renewed popularity of the (neo)historical novel and period drama also chafes against the recent turn towards trauma studies. The effects of new market forces, media and digital technology on the form of writing and the construction of the “author” could also be seen as one of the legacies of modernism. A focus on mindfulness, ethics and affect sits uneasily alongside the necessity for art to provoke and push boundaries. Expressions of the regional contend with an increasing awareness of transnational subjects, diasporic identities and global issues, and some of the most interesting writing today comes from ‘the East’ or writers with hybrid origins and hyphenated identities. Can fiction still be formally inventive and how might it enter into dialogue with other art forms (photography, sculpture, painting, cinema)? In the light of the critical and commercial success of ‘creative non-fiction’ we might also want to ask precisely how narrative can perforate disciplinary and generic categories. On this module we will attempt to construct a (naturally provisional, selective and incomplete) genealogy of the contemporary by examining some of the discernible trends and tensions of relatively recent writing. Much of this writing will be Anglophone but you should be prepared for adventures in reading translations. We will also have to opportunity do some work in UEA’s Archive of Contemporary Literature: what and who is being archived according to which criteria, and what do archivists, academics and critics consider archival about the contemporary?

THE NON FICTION NOVEL

Code LDCC7022B

Credits 20

Some of the most exciting and innovative fiction of the moment is in fact a hybrid form of fiction, borrowing subject matter and techniques from traditionally non-fiction modes such as memoir, criticism, journalism, reportage and life-writing. These novels depart from the usual concerns with character, realistic dialogue and plot to focus on voice, place, and time, employing strategies of literary craft to be formally innovative. This course looks at original non-fiction and also at contemporary ‘realist’ novels which are pushing boundaries and gaining attention in the wider literary culture. We will study the forms, techniques and thematics of both non-fiction and fiction, with an aim to experimenting with and improving students' writing in both forms. Some writing in class and between classes will be required. The second half of the module will include workshopping student work-in-progress. This is a practice-based module taught by a novelist and non-fiction writer and aimed primarily at students on the creative writing strands but is also open to students studying for critical MAs.

THE POETICS OF PLACE

Code LDCC7023B

Credits 20

This module will allow you to explore innovative and experimental forms of place writing, from the critical and theoretical to the literary and artistic. You’ll study critical and theoretical approaches such as (though this may be subject to small changes each year) psychogeography, ecocriticism, critical heritage studies, deep mapping, animal studies, and literary activism. At the same time, you’ll consider a number of original works of literature from recent years, thinking carefully about the relationship between theory, method and form. Some of the authors that you’ll consider (though this may be subject to small changes each year) are: Richard Mabey, Alice Oswald, W.G. Sebald, R.F. Langley, Italo Calvino, Kei Miller, Sue Clifford and Angela King, Tim Robinson, Paul Farley, Kathleen Jamie, Iain Sinclair, and J.A Baker. During the module, you’ll explore some of the following questions: how have different ways of 'framing' place influenced the sense of cultural identity associated with that place? What role might literature play in this? How might recent developments in theory and practice inform your own methods of place writing? How might they encourage you to experiment with new methods? What surprising literary forms might this lead to? And finally, what new ideas might this prompt about publication, exhibition and public engagement? On this module, you’ll not only gain a strong foundation in debates concerning literature's relationship to the environment, to heritage, and to ideas of community but you’ll engage with these debates following your own line of inquiry, and/or through your own developing practice, in ways that will equip you to take on similar projects after the MA as well.

EAST ANGLIAN LITERATURE

Code LDCE7002B

Credits 20

Throughout the medieval and Early-Modern periods Norwich was one of England’s most important cities – probably second only to London – and East Anglia one of the country’s culturally liveliest and richest areas. In this module you will explore the literature of these periods in its material contexts (the region’s prosperity and power may still be seen in its architecture and in the rich holdings of its libraries and museums) and ask whether there was a specifically East Anglian cultural tradition. You will explore East Anglia’s rich dramatic traditions, its devotional literature and practices (in orthodox forms and in those that brush against the heterodox), and, insistently, the manner in which its literature participates in its broader social and cultural worlds. This module may particularly appeal to you if you have an interest in the cultural traditions of Norwich and East Anglia or, more generally, in the literature of place.

CREATIVE-CRITICAL WRITING

Code LDCE7004B

Credits 20

Too often, academic critical writing seems to bring pre-packaged language to bear on works whose whole essence and aim is to change the ways in which we see and describe our world. And too often such writing fails to acknowledge the ways in which it itself participates in the literary ‘creativity’ it is also about. How, then, to write criticism? Criticism which responds inventively to the literature which it analyses? Criticism which registers, in its own form, language, method and the ways in which it has been transformed by the work(s) of art it encounters? Criticism which recognises that it cannot rest on received concepts and categories? In this module you’ll explore these questions. Over the course of the semester we'll read, ponder and experiment with a broad range of possible ways of practising creative-criticism, including the essay form, auto-commentary, conceptual writing, inventive ‘theoretical’ writing, and diaristic writing. Your assessed work for the module will be in two parts: a piece of creative-critical writing of your own and a critical reflection on a particular aspect of the theory and practice of creative criticism.

LUDIC LITERATURE

Code LDCE7006B

Credits 20

The aim of this mixed creative-critical module is twofold: both to explore together some of the major works of playful or ‘ludic’ modern literature across various languages, and to develop our appreciation of style and form by practising various forms of writing that are themselves ludic: creative imitation, parody, transposition from one style and form to another, creative translation. In play, we will find, the boundary between the ‘creative’ and the ‘critical’ becomes unclear. The module is generally taken by a mix of students from the various critical and creative writing MAs, as well as by students in Literature and Philosophy. On the ‘critical’ side, the module traces the evolution of leading postmodernist styles and themes, especially ludic ones, back to their origins in Dostoevsky, Joyce, Kafka, Borges, and Nabokov. Using these enormously influential authors as a starting point, we read a range of ludic authors, passing back and forth between languages, nations, and genres. Each week we usually pair two authors. In previous years we have studied, for example, Dostoevsky against Nabokov, Kafka against Borges, Perec against Queneau and Calvino, Carter against Coover, Muldoon against Heaney, Pynchon against Barthelme, and Ashbery against Mallarmé. There is also a strong philosophical element of the module, you will be encouraged to explore the philosophical theory of aesthetic play in Kant, Schiller, and Nietzsche, and later in Huizinga and Derrida. On the ‘creative’ side in previous years we have, for example, read Kafka’s short tales against Borges’s re-writings of them, tried to write like Kafka or Borges, turned a Kafka story into a Dostoevsky paragraph or a Nabokov poem, explored the various translations of these authors, and played with re-translating them. We have taken a story by Coover and re-written it as a sestina, two kinds of sonnet, and a villanelle. In doing all this, we are asking fundamental questions not only about play but also about style and form, how they shape meaning and make possible certain kinds of writing and thinking. We are also returning to the way in which literature was studied, and creative writing engendered, before the invention of professional literary criticism and creative writing courses in the twentieth century. All students will be encouraged to try their hand at parodying and imitating the texts we are studying, though this is not compulsory. Final assessment can take the form of a 5000 word critical essay or of a combination of a creative piece and a critical essay, to make up 5000 words.

THE NORTHERN RENAISSANCE, 1500-1620

Code LDCE7011B

Credits 20

This module sets out to understand why and how humanism -- the advocacy of the study of the humanities, the Greek and Roman classics -- gave birth to the astonishing outpouring of literature that we call the Renaissance. We will situate English Renaissance literature within the wider context of the humanist literature of France, the Netherlands, and Italy. Questions we consider include: how did the rediscovery of classical texts generate new possibilities for literary writers? How did humanists understand the nature of poetic creation? How did their advocacy of rhetoric create new ways for writers to engage with public life? And what happened when humanists turned philological methods upon the most sacred text of their culture: the bible? Our work will focus on the writings of Thomas More, Desiderius Erasmus, and Michel de Montaigne, but there will be opportunities to read far more widely in the Renaissance literature of the period. Foreign language texts are all read in translation. The might be of interest to anyone who wishes to gain an in-depth understanding of one of the most dazzling periods of European literary history.

PROCESS AND PRODUCT IN TRANSLATION

Code LDCE7014B

Credits 20

Throughout this module you will produce translations in conditions that encourage and facilitate reflection on the process and product of translation. You will be encouraged to think experimentally, not only about the forms a finished translation might take, but also about the ways in which process might be incorporated into the translation. The module has a workshop format and culminates in a series of presentations of the projects on which students have chosen to work. A series of sessions devoted to the discussion and hands-on tackling of practical problems connected with translation and the projects ahead, precede the presentations. One class meeting will take place at the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts and another at the Special Collections of the UEA Library. Throughout the semester you will be encouraged to discuss a variety of texts, both critical and creative, that help illuminate the process and product of literary translation. You will also be invited to circulate your own bibliographies (developed in relation to in-class presentations as well as the main project) to other members of the class, and to bring to our attention any text(s) you encounter that may be of particular relevance. Your final project will engage with the process of producing literary translation, and will comprise a scholarly discussion thereof illustrated by your own translations of a more or less experimental nature. The in-process project will be presented to the class for discussion and feedback in the second part of the semester.

PHILOSOPHY OF LITERATURE SEMINAR

Code PPLP7001B

Credits 20

In a collaborative seminar or group-study format, you’ll explore (together with the teacher) a range of topics in the philosophy of literature. Topics that you’ll study will typically include: the definition and purpose of literature; the status of fictional characters; the relevance of author's intention and the role of interpretation in fixing meaning; aesthetic evaluation, taste, subjectivity and objectivity; the value of fakes and copies; the emotional effect of literature; whether literature can convey truth and knowledge, and the relationship between aesthetic judgement and ethics. You’ll prepare a package of two essays relating to different parts of the course, preceded by formative drafts and essay tutorials.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

This is the second year of your taught Masters programme.

Assessment for Year 2

Compulsory Modules

CREATIVE WRITING RESEARCH METHODOLOGY CONFERENCE

Code LDCC7006B

Credits 10

This 10-credit module consists of a day-long series of presentations and plenary discussions delivered by Creative Writing and Critical faculty of direct relevance to the practical aspects of researching and writing a major piece of creative work. It is intended for all students on the Prose Fiction, Poetry, Scriptwriting and Biography and Creative Non-Fiction MA courses. Attendance is compulsory.

DESCRIBING POETRY

Code LDCC7009A

Credits 20

We often think of poetry as a descriptive art, representing our experience of the world. One of the most important things it describes, however, is the experience of language. This module will consider some of the ways in which poetic language has been described in philosophy and literary criticism, and some of the poems in which it has described itself. It offers a historical survey of some of the major texts in Western poetics, from Plato to contemporary writers, to be read alongside a range of poems. You will be encouraged to contribute texts from their own reading for discussion. Short formative exercises will also be set in class, in preparation for the final 5,000-word coursework essay or portfolio coursework of 2,000-word book review and 3,000-word essay.

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP: POETRY 2

Code LDCC7003B

Credits 20

Only students who are registered for Creative Writing: Poetry may enrol for this module. In the second workshop you will continue to hone your skills as a writer and reader of poetry. Each week you will engage in a rigorous feedback process on peers' poems, and discuss a key element of poetic technique with reference to the work of a significant published poet. Teaching will be responsive to the individual needs of group members, and will develop reading and writing practice suggestions from week to week. You will also be encouraged to bring your own independent discoveries as a reader and writer to the discussion, and to take part in the wider poetry community and poetry activities of UEA and Norwich, a UNESCO City of Literature. Group discussion of your work in seminar (twice a term) will be followed by a half-hour one-to-one tutorial at a time tbc.

CREATIVE WRITING (POETRY) DISSERTATION

Code LDCC7501X

Credits 90

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Important Information

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

Bachelors (Hons) degree - 2.1 or equivalent preferred, but not essential

Degree subject

Any subject

Additional entry requirements

Candidates will be expected to submit a portfolio of writing for assessment - up to 20 pages of poetry.

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 7.0 (minimum 6.0 in each section and 7.0 in writing)
PTE (Pearson): 65 (minimum 50 in each section and 65 in writing)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests

INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk

Intakes

This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.

Please note that those candidates offered a place on the course will not be able to defer their offer to the next year if they are unable to take up the offer of a place, however they are welcome to reapply the next year.

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For a window onto the exciting new writing coming out of the UEA Creative Writing programme, visit our website NewWriting.Net

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Course Reference Number: 665078

Literature, Drama and Creative Writing

MA CREATIVE WRITING POETRY (PART TIME)

Key details

Year of Entry:

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Degree of Master of Arts

Duration (years)

Important Information

Prepare for a career writing for theatre, film or television with an MA that allows you to explore and produce dramatic writing across the media. You’ll study both the theory and practice of dramatic writing, addressing contemporary critical debates, analysing written and performance texts, and experimenting with a range of techniques in original writing. You’ll develop your skills in constructive criticism and creative editing of your peers’ writing, creating a supportive writers’ network in the process. You’ll be taught by renowned theorists, practitioners and visiting specialists through seminars, presentations, screenings, workshops, readings and performance visits. All with the rigour and professional insight that are the hallmark of our creative writing teaching.

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Course Modules

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MA CREATIVE WRITING POETRY (PART TIME)