MA brochure - Creative Writing - Queen's University Belfast

Today,+our+lecturers+in+Creative+Writing+are+all+
acclaimed+writers+in+their+respective+genres+who+have+
received+major+national+and+international+awards+for+
their+work.+To+study+Creative+Writing+at+Queen’s+means+
working+alongside+some+of+Ireland’s+leading+novelists,+
poets+and+dramatists+with+extensive+experience+of+
both+writing+and+teaching,+in+a+challenging+but+
supportive+environment.++++
Events
Students+of+Creative+Writing+at+Queen’s+join+a+vibrant+
literary+and+social+culture.+Throughout+each+semester,+
the+Heaney+Centre+and+the+English+Society+host+
evening+readings+and+lectures+by+acclaimed+poets,+
novelists+and+critics.+The+Lunchbox+Series+offers+more+
intimate+readings+and+talks+by+writers+on+the+first+
Friday+lunchtime+of+the+month.+Every+Wednesday+
afternoon,+the+Queen’s+Writers’+Group+meets+in+the+
Centre+to+discuss+creative+work+in+any+genre+–+this+
group+is+open+to+students+and+writers+from+outside+the+
university+alike,+and+is+currently+hosted+by+the+Centre’s+
Director,+Ciaran+Carson.+
Resources&and&Facilities
In+addition+to+the+new+McClay+Library,+which+offers++
students+worldNleading+facilities+and+research+
resources,+the+Heaney+Centre+houses+an+additional+++
library+of+contemporary+poetry,+located+on+the+second+
floor.+On+the+ground+floor+you’ll+find+a+social+space+and+
a+computer+room.+The+garden+has+been+planted+with+
flowers+and+shrubs+with+particular+resonances+in+
contemporary+Irish+literature.+
!
Why&Creative&Writing&at&Queen’s?
Postgraduate+students+of+Creative+Writing+in+the+
School+of+English+at+Queen’s+take+advantage+of+MA+and+
PhD+programmes+which+are+at+the+forefront+of+the+
teaching+of+Creative+Writing+as+an+academic+discipline+
in+both+Ireland+and+the+UK.+The+MA+in+Creative+Writing+
is+currently+in+its+12 th +year+and+regularly+recruits+
students+from+all+over+the++EnglishNspeaking+world,+
including+Canada,+the+U.S.A+and+New+Zealand.+The+MA+
allows+students+to+focus+exclusively+on+poetry,+prose,+
or+scriptwriting+whilst+simultaneously+offering+modules+
which+develop+and+challenge+work+undertaken+in+these+
core+disciplines.+
The+School+of+English+at+Queen’s+remains+one+of+a+
handful+of+institutions+which+offer+a+PhD+in+Creative+
Writing.+A+former+graduate+of+the+MA+in+Creative+
Writing,+Emily+Dedakis,+was+the+first+student+in+Ireland+
to+attain+a+PhD+in+Creative+Writing+and+places+are+
currently+available+for+students+wishing+to+study+
poetry,+prose,+or+scriptwriting+at+doctoral+level.++
Creative&Environment
Creative+Writing+at+Queen’s+is+part+of+a+worldNfamous+
literary+tradition+going+back+to+the+renowned+‘Group’+
of+the+1960s,+which+included+such+literary+giants+as+
Seamus+Heaney,+Michael+Longley,+Derek+Mahon,+Paul+
Muldoon,+Ciaran+Carson+and+Medbh+McGuckian.++
To+build+on+the+peculiar+strength+of+this+Queen’sNbased+
poetic+tradition,+The+Seamus+Heaney+Centre+for+Poetry+
was+founded+as+part+of+the+School+of+English+in+2003.+
The+Heaney+Centre,+headed+by+Professor+Ciaran+
Carson,+hosts+the+Creative+Writing+programmes+within+
the+School.
“The+MA+in+Creative+Writing+provided+a+
space+to+explore+what+the+process+of+
writing+was+for+me+–+which+meant+
disciplining+myself+to+write,++rather+than+
just+talking+about+doing+it;++letting+it+flow,+
getting+it+down+on+paper;++working+on+
what+I've+written+to+craft+it+into+something+
worth+reading;++exposing+it+to+others+to+see+
if+it+works.+The+weekly+workshops+with+
tutors+at+Queens+were+there+to+encourage+
and+critique+at+every+step+of+that process.+
The+tutors+are+all+well+established+in+their+
own+fields+and+I+found+them+accessible+and+
honest+in+their+comments+on+my+work.+
They+more+than+fulfilled+their+part+of+the+
bargain+–+I+wrote,++they+read+what+I+wrote+
and+critiqued+it+and+inspired+me+to+work+on+
it+until+it+was+the+best+it+could+be. And+the+
discipline+of+having+to+produce+a+piece+of+
work each+week+for 'workNshopping'+was+
crucial+in+my+development+as+a+writer.”
―+MA+student,+Sheila+Llewellyn.