PhD in English Literature in Bristol United Kingdom | University of Bristol

The Department of English's research embodies our field's fundamental principles—textual analysis, critical theory, and historical context—applied to the evolving landscape of literary studies. Our work spans all eras, from medieval times to the present day, with faculty frequently pursuing interdisciplinary approaches.

We take particular pride in our strengths in medieval and Renaissance literature, Romantic and Victorian studies, modernist works, and contemporary English-language writing. Distinguished for our comprehensive study of poetry across centuries, our specialized research encompasses literary theory, book history, science and literature, medical humanities, environmental literature, digital scholarship, feminist and gender studies, LGBTQ+ texts, postcolonial works, Black British literature, global Anglophone writing, 20th-century American literature, and Welsh literary traditions.

We actively support PhD research both independently and through partnerships with other Bristol departments and external institutions, collaborating with experts in art history, medicine, philosophy, history, political science, theater arts, classical studies, religion, and foreign languages.