Before you start
There are many things you can be doing to prepare yourself for studying literature and writing.
Dip into David Lodge’s The Art of Fiction (a series of very short and accessible essays on how literature works).
Why not start a daily writing diary in which you challenge yourself to observe with care and write about one thing (object, place, phenomena) that you have not written about before. Try to encompass all 5 senses in your pieces of writing about your chosen point of focus. Think of it a little bit like a sketchbook, but for writing.
Try to draft and edit these pieces as you go along.
We strongly recommend that you download the BBCSounds app (it's free) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds on your phone/laptop and search for podcasts on literature. Listening to these will assist with the development of your understanding of literary histories & cultures, writing, the contemporary Arts scene, creativity and critical-thinking skills.
For a greater depth of historical understanding, we recommend exploring the "You're Dead to Me" podcast series (a quirky, informal look at historical figures/events, including major writers).
Listening to a podcast while you're on the bus to work/cooking tea etc. turns dead time into a learning opportunity!
Listen to this podcast on Shakespeare’s sonnets https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000x6tr
Or try out some of the tricks explored by the writers talking about writing in this podcast
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00187qz
Larger texts on our first-year modules include Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell. You will receive free copies of these but perhaps you could borrow a copy from a library and read ahead over summer?