PhD Creative Writing

Plymouth’s PhD in Creative Writing is one of the longest running in the UK, going back to the late 1990s. Our MA, and PhD students have had books published in all forms and received many kudos over the years, including being shortlisted for The Forward First Book Prize for Poetry, receiving a two-novel deal with Headline, winning the £10,000 Ballymaloe Poetry Prize, and winning the Manchester Metropolitan Novella Prize (Jamie Edgecombe, see his student profile below).

We offer a rich and warm post-graduate culture in English and Creative Writing at Plymouth, based in fellowship and scholarly interaction with the other departments in the Faculty (including Fine Art, Computer Music, and Theatre and Performance). Our award-winning writers include Miriam Darlington (author of the nature writing book, Owl Sense), Ben Smith (author of the novel, Doggerland), and Anthony Caleshu (author of The Victor Poems and founding editor of Periplum press).

This full time or part time doctoral programme is suitable for people who have a particular research question or topic in mind, and wish to explore this through independent study in order to produce an original contribution to the subject. If you aspire to a research career this is the most appropriate research degree to undertake.

You will be guided by a small supervisory team of academic experts under the direction of a Director of Studies. Even if you already have a masters degree, you will normally be registered as a ‘MPhil/PhD’ candidate and may apply to transfer to ‘PhD’ status around 10–22 months after registration, based on your progress to date.

Overseas applicants must submit their application 4.5 months prior to the proposed programme start date. For Home/EU applicants the deadline is 2.5 months prior to the proposed programme start date. There are three possible start dates per year, 1 October, 1 January and 1 April.