Creative Writing and History BA (Hons)

CREATIVE WRITING

Liverpool is a city of poets and storytellers so the perfect location to study creative writing. Merseyside has a distinctive literary culture and at Liverpool Hope you are taught by writers, poets and academics with strong connections to the local writing community and international recognition for their work.

Creative Writing at Liverpool Hope will give you the chance to experience the joys of crafting the written word. The degree focuses on developing you as a writer of poetry and prose (fiction and creative nonfiction), across the broad field of literature (poems, short stories, novels, reflective and critical essays). Professional writing - reviews, blogs and articles for different kinds of media, including how to operate in today’s marketplaces - is also studied. Our focus on creativity and employability means you will be able to produce engaging, innovative and marketable texts.

By studying Creative Writing, you will be empowered with an enhanced command of your craft, increased confidence in expressing your thoughts and emotions, an understanding of the values that inform your writing practice, and the technical skillset to deliver your work to various audiences. Your writing will be enhanced by studying under leading published writers and academics, and you will develop a range of workplace skills to prepare for fulfilling careers.

The degree will often challenge you and ask you to reach beyond your own experience and interests into those of contemporary and historical communities. Using these as creative stimuli, you will be required to reflect upon social contexts, power, and how truth and justice can be communicated or miscommunicated through creative writing. By the end of the degree, you should have a wide appreciation of forms, genres and applications. Included in the degree are field trips which provide material for writing exercises as well as widening your student experience.

Lecturers are all practising writers, poets and academics and will include you in their working lives as writers whether this is book launches, public readings and festivals or writing workshops in the community. You will have the opportunity to read your work at open mics on campus and in the city, present at city cultural events or publish in the two literary magazines run by Liverpool Hope students and postgraduates.

Hear from one of our Creative Writing students.

HISTORY

Studying History helps you see how people and societies lived in the past. These experiences shape our present and future. Our History degree lets you explore many periods, from the Early Modern era to today. You’ll cover key themes like nationalism, imperialism, colonisation, decolonisation, gender, and identity. The course encourages you to engage with and challenge interpretations, as history is always changing.

Liverpool’s rich cultural connections make it a great place to study history. Your study visits include local historic sites like Childwall from the Domesday Book. You’ll also explore attractions such as the Museum of Liverpool, the International Slavery Museum, and the World Museum. You’ll also visit sites like the Elizabethan Hardwick Hall.

Our History course is taught in a supportive environment alongside Politics and International Relations. You'll learn from recognized scholars who are active researchers and published authors. You’ll engage with a variety of historical evidence, including rare books from our Special Collections.

The courseoffers an optional placement year. This lets you apply your research and communication skills in a real-world setting. Close ties with National Museums Liverpool provide chances for final-year dissertations linked to museum projects, giving you valuable hands-on experience. Whatever topic you choose for your dissertation, it will show the practical and analytical skills gained in your History degree, which employers highly value.