The Birkbeck Writers' Hub

The new Writers' Hub website from the Birkbeck Writing Programme.


Birkbeck Writing Programme

We offer writing courses at all levels from Certificate in Higher Education to BA and MA. Visit the Birkbeck website for more details.

Birkbeck Alumni

Students from our courses often go on to successfully publish their work. Here are links to a few MA Alumni with recently published work:

Emma Henderson
Sally Hinchcliffe
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Jill McGivering
Niki Aguirre
David Savill

Birkbeck MA Creative Writing

Here's the course information about the MA Creative Writing at Birkbeck. The course is run by the School of English and Humanities and any course-related queries should be directed to the course secretary Anne-Marie Taylor.

*PLEASE NOTE: We accept applications for academic year 2011/12 from January 2011 for interviews in Spring and early Summer. We are usually full by end of June, although there are sometimes a few places available in late August early September.

The MA programme will enable talented and experienced writers to develop their craft through workshops, seminars and one-to-one tutorials and to complete with the guidance of published writers, a dissertation in either: Fiction, or Biography and Life Writing. This MA programme, with its well established reputation for teaching fiction writing, is now expanding to include provision for biographical and life writing. Students who chose the life writing/biography genre will be given an analytical introduction to the disciplinary history, theory and techniques of writing non-fiction. Staff will provide skills training in research methodology and life-writing narrative in biography, memoir, and the non-fiction novel. The programme will also focus on contemporary writing and the literary marketplace.

The Master's Programme in Creative Writing produces annual literary magazine, called The Mechanics' Institute Review.

Students are eligible to take part in two extensions of the programme: writLOUD, a monthly readings event showcasing both new authors from Birkbeck’s creative writing courses and established writers; and workshops on reading their work aloud in front of an audience. Also take a look at the new web portal the Birkbeck Writers' Hub.

Duration
Two years part-time or one year full-time.

Attendance
One evening a week part-time; two evenings a week full-time. October–September.

Entry requirements
Applicants should have a good honours degree. This requirement may be waived if students can demonstrate exceptional talent. Applicants must submit a portfolio of work and a personal statement in which they discuss their current writing, present ideas for future projects and place their work in the context of contemporary writing. Students are selected on the basis of their portfolio and statement, an interview and their degree. If English is not your first language, an IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent is required.

When to apply
You should apply as early as possible.

How to apply
Online applications for 2011/2012 entry available on the Birkbeck website..

Contact
Anne Marie Taylor
School of English and Humanities
tel: 020 7079 0689
email: office@eng.bbk.ac.uk
www.bbk.ac.uk/eh/