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Bath Spa University

Creative Writing

Our comprehensive programme includes prose fiction of all kinds, poetry of all kinds, scriptwriting for theatre, screen and radio, and non-fiction, such as feature writing, travel writing, nature writing, and biography. We also make films and DVDs, and encourage you to get involved in a wide range of writing related activities, such as readings, exhibitions, and magazines. Our Broadcast and Publishing labs form part of Artswork, Bath Spa University's Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning in the Creative Industries. In the Artswork labs, you get the chance to work with practicing industry professionals using state-of-the-art equipment.
Duration 3 Years full time; part time available
Level BA Single Hons
Cost UK Home/EU Tuition Fees 2012/13: £9,000. Bursaries of up to £1,200 available.
 
The course will encourage you to be confident, adventurous and constructively self-critical in your creative writing, and teach you to prepare your work for submission to literary agents, publishers, broadcasters, magazines, newspapers and other outlets. You work with writers such as Tim Liardet (poet), Lucy English (poet and novelist), Steve May (scriptwriter and novelist), Gerard Woodward (poet and novelist), Carrie Etter (poet and critic), Julia Green (writer for young people), Jonathan Neale (novelist and non-fiction writer), Mimi Thebo (novelist) and Steve Voake (writer for young people). You are encouraged from the start to adopt professional working methods, and to orient yourself to the world of the creative industries. We have a regular programme of visiting agents, publishers, writers and representatives of the broadcasting industries which are open to and often organised by undergraduate students.
Requirements
260-300 UCAS Tariff points (eg BBC; AB+AS a), including A- level English Literature, English Language, Theatre Studies or a related subject at grade B. Candidates are sometimes asked to send samples of creative writing.
Modules
Year 1 is the time to experiment, and try out as many kinds and styles of writing as possible. The compulsory core workshop module helps you develop your own writing, and to see yourself as a writer. You will have the opportunity to take part in a group project (for example, making a film, or organising an event or performance). The optional genre modules in prose, poetry and script encourage you to read widely, and to contextualise your own work in terms of other writing. There is also a specialist publishing option for creative writing students subject to availability. In Year 2 the compulsory core workshop module picks up where the core module in year one left off: you will be expected to produce work week by week, and to develop as a writer and a reader. You will be encouraged to research suitable markets for your writing. A range of optional modules offer the chance to try out specialist areas such as Life Writing, Writing for Theatre, Genre Fiction and Performance Poetry. If you're keen on screen, then you can take the optional 40 credit Making a Film module, based in our Artswork facilities, run to industry standards, and taught by accomplished practitioners. Year 3 is concerned with applying the skills learned in the first two years, with originality, with the emergence of your characteristic style and identity - and taking your work out into the world as far as possible. You can specialise in five areas (Fiction, Non Fiction, Poetry, Script, and Writing for Young People). You will also get the chance to realise your own ambitions, and to gain academic credit for the creative work you do outside the act of writing in our Enterprise Project module. For example, you could put on a play, research and gain experience in the career of your choice, organise an event - anything, in fact, that you can imagine, and we can help you realise.
Contact Information
Institution Bath Spa University
Newton Park Campus
Newton St Loe
Bath
BA2 9BN

Tel: (01225) 876268.
Fax: (01225) 875605.
www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/creative-writing.asp
Department: School of Humanities and Cultural Industries, Bath Spa University,
Contact Name: Dr Steve May
Contact Email: s.may@bathspa.ac.uk / enquiries@bathspa.ac.uk.