Master of Arts - Contemporary Literature and Culture

The Contemporary Literature & Culture MA allows graduates to explore British and American fiction, poetry, and drama, engaging with contemporary issues such as #MeToo, the Covid pandemic, and climate change, while also examining how literary prizes influence the production of today's literature.

Postgraduate study in English at Loughborough University is designed for graduates who aspire to shape and interpret the literary cultures of the twenty-first century. The courses offer an inclusive and practical approach to textual study and expression, enabling students to deepen their understanding of contemporary writing while also enhancing their creative skills through peer learning and hands-on projects.

Students will have the opportunity to organise and host a literary festival, contributing to the modern literary scene, while becoming part of a vibrant community of scholars and experts. This community will support them in pursuing their intellectual goals, whether academic, cultural, or commercial.

The course provides a comprehensive study of various cultural forms, including literature, digital media, drama, film, and television, in order to analyse contemporary culture. Modules explore cultural and theoretical responses to contemporary events, crises, and phenomena that shape modern life and environments, such as global warming, Black Lives Matter, gender rights, late-stage capitalism, technological innovation, migration, the rise of populism and the far right, and the Covid-19 pandemic. A distinctive aspect of the course is its focus on how contemporary publishing, literary prizes, and promotional strategies influence the literary landscape and its politics.

The programme equips students with knowledge and practical skills through an innovative core module where students collaborate to plan and host a literary festival in the summer term. The culmination of the programme is a dissertation, allowing students to research and write on a topic of their choice.

Who should study this programme? The MA in Contemporary Literature and Culture is ideal for graduates seeking to gain skills and knowledge that open doors to careers across a range of sectors, including the arts, arts management, publishing, journalism, teaching, and even the legal and financial sectors. The course is suitable for students with a humanities background who are interested in developing both their career skills and intellectual ambitions, with a focus on further research or employment.

The programme is supported by staff who are leaders in contemporary literature, having published books, edited journals and book series, and played key roles in organisations dedicated to the study of contemporary literature. Loughborough University’s strengths span cultural forms including fiction, life writing, poetry, film, and drama, with faculty expertise in gender, speculative fiction, American studies, and creative writing—all of which inform the programme content.