Overview
Research in English and American Literatures, in which Creative Writing is situated, has a long and distinguished history at Keele. Creative Writing has been formally established as a thriving and energetic graduate programme at MA and PhD levels (the PhD programme has been running successfully for two years).
Indeed, the University has over the years played host to many eminent writers, most notably the distinguished poet Roy Fisher, who taught in the Department of American Studies (1971-82). The Roy Fisher Prize for Poetry is a poetry pamphlet prize awarded yearly to a student, and endowed by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. Please see below for current areas of research and supervision.
Facilities
Research students in Humanities are supported through the provision of: shared office space, IT equipment and research funding to support some travel and other expenses. Creative Writing students also have access to the Keele Writing Room in Chancellor’s Building – a dedicated space for all creative writing students. Students on the Keele Creative Writing programme also participate directly in the development and maintenance of the events, publications, workshops and short courses which constitute Keele’s vibrant writing culture – typically through opting to gain experience in one of the areas in which writers often establish a secondary income – reviewing, editing and teaching.
More widely, there are significant library resources at Keele to support Humanities research, including Early English Books Online (EEBO) and Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO), as well as the private David Bruce Centre Library for American Studies students and the Staffordshire Studies repository for those interested in local writers. Keele is ideally located near to other major libraries and collections, such as Manchester’s John Rylands and Chetham’s Libraries, the Gladstone Library, and the University Libraries of Birmingham, Oxford and Liverpool. Staff in English have established collaborative working relationships with major archives and record offices within the region. In addition, Keele is less than 2 hours away from the extensive scholarly resources and libraries of London.
Research staff and students
The Research Institute provides a dynamic and supportive environment for postgraduate study and research. Postgraduates are encouraged to participate in all research activities of the Institute, from attending and giving papers at research seminars to taking part in academic events beyond the University. Seventeen academic staff work on British, North American and Postcolonial literatures from the sixteenth century to the present day, including specialists in creative writing.
