BA (Hons) English Literature in Reading United Kingdom | University of Reading

Discover diverse writers spanning continents and centuries, from medieval times to today, through our BA English Literature program.

This degree allows you to delve deeper into familiar authors and genres (from Shakespearean tragedies to Gothic tales, Dickensian novels to Plath's poetry and Beckett's works) while introducing lesser-known literary fields like children's literature, publishing studies, and book history. Our faculty, whose research covers everything from medieval verse to modern American novels, will guide you in cultivating your literary passions.

First-year core modules equip all students with essential skills for advanced literary analysis. We investigate how texts reflect their cultural environments (Genre and Context), track poetry's evolution across time and borders (Poetry in English), and study how interpretations shape new meanings (Research and Criticism). Alongside required courses, first-year options include creative writing, persuasive nonfiction, or 20th-century American literature. Second-year offerings range from Renaissance poetry to modern fiction.