Creative Writing: Writing the City MA

The Creative Writing: Writing the City MA is the only Creative Writing MA course to focus entirely on the city of London. It will allow you to explore the city as a subject matter from a range of perspectives and across all genres. It will also give you a theoretical and practical platform from which to develop your understanding and become part of the London writing scene.

Taught by professional writers and researchers, our course offers plenty of opportunities to network with other writers, agents, TV producers and performance poets. As part of the MA, you'll be part of the team managing the Wells Street Journal, our student-led in-house magazine. You'll be based in the University's headquarters building at 309 Regent Street, which means you'll be writing about the city in the heart of London, with ready access to the capital's excellent academic, social and cultural opportunities, including the vibrant West End theatre scene.

You can begin in January or in September. To receive your Master's award, you'll need to complete taught modules for a total of 120 credits, covered by three 40-credit core modules, and the 60-credit Writing Project (giving a total of 180 credits).

The workshop-based structure of the course will allow you to learn through interactive practice. Classes are weekly and normally last two or three hours. Teaching will also include visits to selected London institutions to support certain aspects of writing, and you'll be encouraged to use various archives, theatres and galleries. Assessment methods include coursework portfolios, reflective logs, essays, and workshop leader, as well as the 10-12,000-word writing project. There are no formal exams.

Top reasons to study with us

• Write in and about London – you'll be based in the heart of London, a city which will inspire your writing and unlock your creative potential
• Run our student-led magazine – you can gain publishing experience through managing The Wells Street Journal, our in-house literary magazine
• A course run by professional writers – you'll study multiple genres and be taught by professional writers and researchers
• Networking opportunities – networking is encouraged as part of the course, and you'll be perfectly placed to access London's writing and publishing scene
• Vibrant culture – you'll have the opportunity to enjoy a host of extra-curricular events, workshops and talks

Why study this course?

• Get immersed in London
  You'll explore the city from a range of perspectives and genres and be encouraged to use London institutions and arts venues to support your learning, as well as network in London's writing scene.
• Learn how to succeed as a writer
  You'll learn practical skills such as how to use your creativity to promote your work, how to edit, how to choose a literary agent and how to use social media for self-promotion.
• Gain publishing experience
  You'll be able to choose how you contribute to our literary magazine, The Wells Street Journal – whether it's designing content, editing, organising the launch party or managing social media.

The critical and practical skills you'll acquire by the end of the course will make you a strong candidate in many areas, including arts management, copy editing, education, freelance writing, journalism, media, publishing, theatre and performance-based writing, and research and academia.

• Take the next step in your writing career
  In addition to learning the craft of writing, you'll develop transferable skills such as editing, critical analysis, advanced oral and written presentation, as well as in-depth knowledge of the publishing industry.
• Make industry connections
  Our course offers plenty of opportunities to network with other writers, agents, TV producers and performance poets. You'll be encouraged to identify useful career opportunities through extra-curricular activities including writers’ events and talks.
• Employers around the world
  The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

Graduate success

A large number of our graduates are employed in graduate positions within six months of graduating, and many have also experienced success from their freelance work as writers, and from the growing list of prestigious publications and accolades attached to their names.

Our graduate successes include:

• Stephen Thompson published No More Heroes, his fourth novel, in 2015, one year after finishing his MA. Stephen has also written the script for BBC 1 Sitting in Limbo documentary, first aired on 8 June 2020, and has been nominated for two BAFTA awards (Best Single Drama, and Emerging Talent)
• Naji Bakhti’s Between Beirut and The Moon, a coming of age story set against the turbulent background of his native country of Lebanon, was published by Influx Press in 2020
• Jessica Wragg published her memoir Girl on the Block in 2019, which is due to become a TV programme produced in the US
• Gunther Silva Passuni, who is originally from Peru, published his second work, Pasos Pesados (a novel in his native Spanish) in 2016

Job roles

This course will prepare you for a variety of roles, including:

• Copywriter
• Digital content producer
• Freelance journalist
• Screenwriter
• Teacher

Graduate employers

Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:

• BBC
• University of Lancaster
• University of Winchester
• Vogue

Westminster Employability Award

Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.

The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, comprising a set of core and optional extracurricular activities.

Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up to a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.

The following modules are indicative of what you will study in this course.

Core modules

• City Stories and Dramas: Fiction and Playwriting
• Mapping and Imagining the City: Non-Fiction and Poetic Writing
• The Writing Business
• The Writing Project