MA Writing for Children

MA Writing for Children

MA Writing for Children explores the relationship between creative production and critical awareness of children’s literature and allows students to develop their writing skills in a stimulating and supportive environment.

The programme offers students the opportunity to develop creative work in progress, give and receive feedback and produce new writing. It also encourages students to discuss the work of established writers and consider the theoretical, social and cultural contexts of contemporary writing for children.

All students must complete five modules including Fiction for Children and Publishing Project and, as an alternative to the other modules on offer, students may choose up to two modules from MA Creative and Critical Writing, which includes modules on writing poetry and scripts.

Publishing Project is a module in which all students develop a writing project to the point of submission for publication, for example, the development of a publishing proposal, initial chapters and letter to agent/publisher. Guest agents, editors and writers provide specific insights and a group project such as an anthology or blog helps develop editing skills.

Modules

Modules include:

• Fiction for Children
• Writing for Early Years
• The Writer as Researcher
• Fantastic Fiction for Children
• Publishing Project

Learning and Teaching

The academics teaching on the programme are all professional novelists, scriptwriters, poets, musicians, critics, playwrights or biographers. They are supported by guests – most recently, Marcus Sedgwick, Lucy Christopher and Andrew Weale (authors), Imogen Cooper (editor) and Beverley Birch (author and editor). The University hosts the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators annual conference and the Winchester Writers’ Conference which students are encouraged to attend.

Careers

Many graduates have gone on to become published writers and poets. Others have careers in teaching, story-telling, the media industry and the arts. The programme also provides a firm foundation for undertaking a research degree or further training.

Entry requirements

Normally a first or second-class Honours degree in a related subject or professional experience in the area of study.

If English is not your first language: IELTS 6.5 (including 6.5 Min academic writing) or a TOEFL score of 575 (paper-based) or 232 (computer-based) or equivalent.