The department is home to an innovative and exciting research community that welcomes postgraduate students, visiting scholars and researchers and world-renowned distinguished visiting professors. We also enjoy close and productive links with the Ruskin Library and Research Centre, The Wordsworth Centre, Lancaster Literature Festival and the Kendal Comics Festival, and are home to the Centre for Transcultural Writing and Research.

Our diverse range of research interests is represented though nine named research clusters that span a range of time periods, themes and genres; our specialism is in cutting-edge, interdisciplinary work where critical questions are explored through traditional and creative means. We are located on the edge of the Lake District, and much of our research is interested in the literary and cultural history of the Lakes and the wider North West, from Hilary Hinds’ research into the travels of George Fox, Sally Bushell’s mapping projects, Jenn Ashworth’s Lancashire-set novels and Simon Bainbridge’s Wordsworth Walks project. The dynamic relationship between the two disciplines of English Literary Studies and Creative Writing results in a range of publications, performances, digital projects and community engagement events and a range of opportunities for students at all levels to get involved in what we do.

Because our research is at the heart of the department, it results in stimulating research-led courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students, a lively event and seminars programme and an ethos of supporting the emerging research interests of students through postgraduate conferences, creative writing showcase events and a range of student-led publications. We also carry our research beyond the university, and our researchers make regular appearances in the media, at national and international conferences, literary festivals and writing industry events.

If you are interested in joining our research community, either as a visiting researcher or a postgraduate student, please see our programme pages.

Research Talks Online

The department runs its own YouTube channel where it showcases the best of our recent talks by visiting writers and researchers and makes them freely available to all.