PhD opportunities in English and Creative Writing at Brunel University London

Become a leading voice in English literature with Brunel - consistently ranking in the top 10 in the country.

Learn from award-winning resident authors such as Bernardine Evaristo and Will Self. Brunel is where creativity comes alive on the page and 64% of our English research is world-leading or internationally excellent. 

Join a community of Britain’s most celebrated, talented, original, and experienced writers actively publishing in the industry today, including Benjamin Zephaniah, Will Self, Bernardine Evaristo, Christopher Fox, Geoff King, Fiona Templeton and many more, having published over 80 powerfully diverse books between them and written for all the national newspapers. You’ll benefit from their in-depth knowledge and passion for what they teach as well as their first-hand experience of what it takes to break into the literary and creative fields.

Join our research areas:

Marginalised voices

Focus your research on studying literature outside the mainstream, which is also our distinctive research expertise. Marginalised voices that deserve wider recognition, stories of the struggles of individuals and communities – join our inclusive research community and make a difference in African Diaspora, performance poetry and the fictional representation of the ageing population.

Through the ages

From modernist and post-war women's writing to Caribbean and migrant fiction, you will find supervisors whose research interests span a wide range of areas aimed at understanding how literature affects wider society. You'll fit right in if you have a strong focus on maximizing both the socio-cultural and academic impact of your work. You will benefit from particular areas of strength including modern and contemporary literature, Shakespeare, Renaissance studies, Victorian literature and culture, and world literature in English. 

Comedy Studies

Devote your work to the academic study of comedy and consider the production, content, reception and wider socio-political implications of comedy in a variety of formats and from a range of perspectives.

Contemporary Writing

Conduct cutting-edge creative, critical and socially-engaged work within English Studies and affiliated fields.

How to apply?

As a doctoral researcher, you will be welcomed to Brunel as a valued member of our thriving, research-intensive community. Browse PhD opportunities, studentship, and learn more about our research by visiting our website.

Get in touch!

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Where is Brunel?

Brunel University London is based in Uxbridge, London – 45minutes to Central London on the Metropolitan Line – which means you have great access to the heart of this beautiful city, and yet can enjoy the safety and convenience of a suburban campus housing over 15,000 students with all you need in one place. Take a look