English Literature

English literature is the study of writing in English across more than a thousand years, from the Old English poetry of Beowulf to the contemporary fiction, poetry, and drama being produced today. It is a discipline that takes language and form seriously, asking not just what texts say but how they say it, how literary choices produce meaning, and how the conditions of production and reception shape what we read and how we respond to it. Studying literature at degree level develops close reading, sustained argument, and the ability to engage with ideas across historical periods, cultural contexts, and theoretical frameworks.

At Durham University, which is one of the UK's highest-ranking universities with a long tradition in the humanities, English literature is studied at a level of intellectual ambition that reflects the university's position among the country's elite institutions. This programme includes a foundation year, a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and a work placement, which together make it an unusually rich and varied degree route. The foundation year provides additional preparation for students who are not yet ready for degree-level entry, while the year abroad and sandwich placement extend your experience across international academic environments and professional settings.

Durham's collegiate system gives you a strong community framework throughout your degree.

You will read widely across periods, genres, and traditions, engage with major critical and theoretical debates in the discipline, and develop the kind of careful, evidence-based argumentation that literary study demands. The placement and year abroad opportunities bring the degree into contact with professional and international realities in ways that enrich both your academic work and your preparation for graduate life.

English graduates from Durham are found across publishing, journalism, law, the civil service, education, arts administration, marketing, media, and many other sectors, as well as in postgraduate study in literature, creative writing, or related fields.