Welcome to your English Literature and Creative Writing course

A big hello from your English and Creative Writing Team

Welcome to English and Creative Writing at Staffordshire University and congratulations on securing your place with us.

We’re really looking forward to meeting you and exploring the exciting world of literature and writing with you over the next 3 years.

There is a busy programme of activities over Welcome Week, with plenty of opportunities for you to get to know the team and your fellow first years. There are sessions which introduce you to essential things you need to know, social opportunities and a chance to start the work on the course.

See you in September

Mel, Philippa, Steve and Mark

Your staff team

We want to make sure you know some of our team before you arrive. Hopefully this will help you recognise us and ensure you know who you can contact if you need any additional help and guidance.

Dr Mark Brown

Course Director

As well as being Course Leader for English and Creative Writing, Mark teaches on First Year core modules and American literature modules on Crime Fiction, the Contemporary, Modernism and Beat Writing. He also supervises MA and PhD students.

Mark's profile

Dr Melanie Ebdon

Senior Lecturer

I am a Senior Lecturer in Literary Studies and Course Leader for the English Literature & Creative Writing degree. I teach across a variety of modules but my research interest is in contemporary British novel-writing.

Melanie's profile

Dr Philippa Holloway

Senior Lecturer

Philippa is an author and active researcher in prose fiction (short stories and novels) and creative non-fiction. Her research interests include psychogeography, nuclear landscapes, creative processes and methodologies and creative pedagogy.

Philippa's profile

Steve Hollyman

Senior Lecturer

I am a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing (Fiction) with an interest in experimental ergodic literature – both print and digital.

Steve's profile

Amy Blaney

P/T Lecturer (Hrly)-English & Creative W

First activity

In the first few weeks we will be exploring the beginnings of The Story of English and introducing key aspects of The Craft of Writing (2 of your 1^st year modules). Reading will be provided for you when you arrive. We will also be providing you with the books you need for the first year of the course.

Course Delivery

We are really looking forward to welcoming you to your classes. Group sizes are small to help you learn in a relaxed and supportive environment. You will be set reading and writing tasks for the weeks ahead once we get into the term. We will also issue you with your free book packs.

You will be allocated a member of staff who will be your Academic Mentor for the duration of your degree. They will help you to navigate your first few weeks at uni and to support you in your learning and your academic and career ambitions.

We teach entirely via workshops (which combine lectures and seminar tasks) so that you can put what you learn straight in to practice.

All of our classes are in-person, on campus, with a member of staff to guide your study, and with a break for coffee (cake is optional). There are weekly opportunities for you to have one-to-ones with your tutors to help you with classes and prepare for assessments.

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.

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?

Equipment needed

You will need access to Office 365 (provided free through the University and available on all University computers and loan laptops). You can download this and install it on your own laptop for free.

Download software

Course Trips

We are arranging a series of trips to the theatre and sites of cultural interest.

See our previous trips

Groups and societies

The Students’ Union has a club or society for every taste and interest – from sports teams to folklore.

English and Creative Writing students have recently started a Creative Writing society with other students from across the university. They would love you to join and help out.

https://www.staffsunion.com/activities/society/staffscws/

We also have the Media Mixer for creatives to find their team – you’ll be able to meet up with actors, film-makers, sound designers, animators and many others to collaborate with.

View all societies

Open Mic evenings

We have regular Open Mic evenings, held in the Drama Studio, where students and staff can share their own or their favourite work; there is always music and often comedy. If you don’t fancy reading, you can just grab a drink and support your fellow students.

Academic skills

Whether you're joining us from school or college, or you're returning to education after some time away, everyone can benefit from the Academic Study Skills resources provided by the University library.

The Academic Skills team is here to support you throughout your academic journey and to help you gain the skills you need to reach your full potential. They can assist with academic reading and writing skills, give advice on how best to plan assignments, and help improve your time management.

The library's Academic Skills Guides offer the key information to make studying easier and give a comprehensive guide to the learning resources and services we offer.

Staffs CampusConnect

Staffs CampusConnect is our student-led community app for new students. Connect with other people from your course, hometown or country, and even those with similar interests.

To register, please ensure you use your Applicant ID (Student Number) that you received in your offer letter, and the email address you used in your application to us.

Register for CampusConnect

Welcome website

Our welcome website will provide you the link to your new student life. It's all about how you find your place at university, including everything from how to meet friends, feel confident in doing your academic work, being a member of your Student Union and getting involved in Union Societies, Academic Societies, Sports, Volunteering or representing your peers in your School.

Part of this Welcome Week - we have an exciting program of University and course level activities planned for you for your first week in September. We are also building an extended program for you to join a series of events throughout the first half of the autumn term. Further details will be shared with you via the Welcome website and Students' Union pages over the coming weeks.

Welcome website

Campus map

Use our campus map to familiarise yourself with our campus before you arrive.

Campus map (PDF)

Check your email

Please make sure you check your personal email account regularly over the next few weeks. We will be sending you lots of information about Welcome Week.