Department of English Courses

This course aims to be an enjoyable exploration of detective and crime fiction. This year we will focus on novels set in times of chaos and crisis. From the Titanic to a mysterious town in Soviet Russia to the G8 summit in Scotland we will ask how a detective investigates a crime when the community or world around them is in turmoil. In these novels, the streets are difficult to pace as other events divert and frustrate our investigators, the people distracted by larger concerns, but the job still needs to be done. We will reflect on the way Detective fiction urges us to remember our duty to the individual in worlds focused on the bigger picture, and the rich connections that we can explore between the case and its social and political contexts.

Dates: 29th January - 26th March 2025

Location: Room 1.H030, University of Bristol Arts Complex, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1TB

Refund Policy: Refunds for our short courses are only to be given in exceptional circumstances and no less than one month before the course is due to start. Refunds for a course already started cannot be accepted. If a student wishes to withdraw from a course once it has begun and wishes to defer their place onto a different course, they are only guaranteed a place on the different course if it does not sell out. A guarantee of deferred places can only be confirmed one week before the course is due to start.

Contact Info:
[email protected]
0117 455 8271

Wednesdays, 4 pm to 6 pm

“Journalism is the crucial frontline against the techno-populism sweeping the planet” (Carol Cadwalladr 2024). This course is for those interested in writing across medias as freelance journalists. It offers opportunities to develop skills in writing to deadlines, pitching ideas, researching and interviewing practice. Students will explore the techniques and context of writing as activism and bearing witness, and experiment with specialisms such as reviewing, travel and nature writing, lifestyle writing, current affairs and other forms by using a practical toolkit of writing exercises, feedback and discussion.

Dates: 29/01/2025 - 26/03/2025

Location: Online via Zoom
We will send you joining instructions nearer the start date of the course. Until then, email us on [email protected] if you have any questions.

Refund Policy:
Refunds for our short courses are only to be given in exceptional circumstances and no less than one month before the course is due to start. Refunds for a course already started cannot be accepted. If a student wishes to withdraw from a course once it has begun and wishes to defer their place onto a different course, they are only guaranteed a place on the different course if it does not sell out. A guarantee of deferred places can only be confirmed one week before the course is due to start.

Contact Info:
[email protected]
0117 455 8271

Life-writing, Fragmentary and Experimental Memoir 2025

Tuesday evenings, 6 pm to 8 pm

The best examples of life-writing and memoir have always been those that tell stories through highly generative and creative ways of seeing the world. The ‘memoirist’ is a particular kind of storyteller within literary traditions across the globe and this course will call attention to the most innovative and nuanced examples, from nature and travel writing to biography and autofiction. Together, we will discuss and critique these varied approaches to memoir and life-writing, using the reading list books as exemplars and starting points. We'll explore these strong and emerging genres that can blend autobiographical writing and non-fiction. How do we create an engaging 'story' that binds our material together? What can be included and what should be edited out? How best to structure material?

Every week, we'll do exercises to explore aspects of the craft of writing, including how to progress and structure your writing, how to develop an individual narrative voice, mapping your plot, and how to integrate non-fiction material. Can dialogue be included/created? What kind of source material can be used? How do we navigate the vagaries of memory and differing points of view? Do we need to get the permission of others?

Dates: 06/05/2025 - 04/07/2025

Location: Online
We will send you joining instructions nearer the start date of the course. Until then, email us on [email protected] if you have any questions.

Contact Info:
[email protected]
0117 455 8271

Wednesday afternoons, 2 pm to 4 pm

How can we write about our lived experience?

This course aims to encourage, support, and excite participants in engaging with creative writing in a safe and informal space. You will be introduced to a variety of approaches to memoir and life writing through a discussion of different texts, and we'll do writing exercises to explore your material in a confidential space. There will be opportunities to share your work and get feedback if you wish.

Dates: 29/01/2025 - 26/03/2025

Location: Room G.H04, University of Bristol Arts, Complex, 7 Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1TB

Refund Policy:
Refunds for our short courses are only to be given in exceptional circumstances and no less than one month before the course is due to start. Refunds for a course already started cannot be accepted. If a student wishes to withdraw from a course once it has begun and wishes to defer their place onto a different course, they are only guaranteed a place on the different course if it does not sell out. A guarantee of deferred places can only be confirmed one week before the course is due to start.

Contact Info:
[email protected]
0117 455 8271

Wednesday evenings, 6pm to 8pm

In the lead up to spring equinox, this eight-week course will help you develop a writing practice centred on the natural world, whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out. What does it mean to embed nature at the heart of our work? How might the written word be uncivilised and rewilded? What is the role of writers in a time of ecological collapse? How to write in relationship with the non-human world around us?

Through discussions, practical exercises and focused writing assignments you will learn how to shape the material you gather into structured pieces of writing, from initial drafts to finished, edited pieces. Come with a notebook and a pen, but most importantly an openness to learning from the natural world.

Dates: 29/01/2025 - 02/04/2025

Please note there will be no classes 19 February (half term) or 26 March (reading week).

Location: Room G.H03, University of Bristol Arts Complex, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1TB

Refund Policy:
Refunds for our short courses are only to be given in exceptional circumstances and no less than one month before the course is due to start. Refunds for a course already started cannot be accepted. If a student wishes to withdraw from a course once it has begun and wishes to defer their place onto a different course, they are only guaranteed a place on the different course if it does not sell out. A guarantee of deferred places can only be confirmed one week before the course is due to start.

Contact Info:
[email protected]
0117 455 8271

Thursdays, 6:30 pm to 8 pm

6 February to 3 April 2025 (Half-term break 20 February)

Course tutor: Billy Kahora

This 8-week course will introduce you to the basics of creative writing. Learn how your experiences can be applied to writing stories.

Location: Barton Hill Micro-campus
University of Bristol
Wellspring Settlement
43 Ducie Road
Bristol, BS5 0AX

Refund Policy:
Refunds for our short courses are only to be given in exceptional circumstances and no less than one month before the course is due to start. Refunds for a course already started cannot be accepted.

Contact Info:
[email protected]
0117 455 8271