PhD English Literature

If you want to take your expertise in the written word into a postgraduate research degree in English Literature, Portsmouth is the perfect place to do it.

Our researchers at the Centre for Studies in Literature are experts in early modern writing, with a particular strength in Victorian literature and culture, and twentieth- and twenty-first-century British and American literature. 100% of our impact in English Language and Literature was rated as having outstanding or very considerable reach and significance in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021).

In an increasingly globalised world where upheaval is rapidly becoming the new normal, we're studying how different literature can shed new light on issues such as corruption, war and justice. We're exploring how literature shapes our opinions on cultures, communities and people; how it can empower unrepresented and marginalised voices; and how it can be used as a weapon to repress and control.

As a postgraduate research student, you can make your own contribution to the important work we're doing.