Do you love to write stories? Are you an avid reader of books of any genre? Do find yourself often writing down ideas and imaginations in your notebook? These are some of the traits of a Creative Writer!

In a world of structured society, Creative Writing covers anything unpredictable and out-of-the-box forms of writing, allowing writers to express their ideas freely. The industry of Creative Writing is competitive and saturated with aspiring writers from all over the world. As such, we have compiled a list of some of the best universities in Europe for creative writing to help you kickstart your journey.

Is There a Demand for Creative Writers in Europe?

Absolutely! Creative writers are in demand in Europe as the continent has seen an increase in total market value. Federation of European Publishers reported an increase in total revenue in the European book market, reaching €36 to €38 billion in 2021. Additionally, Europeans are considered bookworms as they tend to spend more than an hour reading per day. Considering all these values, it’s easy to say that there is a significant market for books, and by extension, creative writing, in the continent. Although creative writing isn’t one of the currently available courses in our catalog, please check out our Open Courses Page to find out other creative programs available in Europe.

Top Creative Writing Schools in Europe

1. University of Oxford

Ranked as number one for offering specialty English language programs, the University of Oxford is among the best creative writing schools in Europe. Oxford gives emphasis on cross-cultural and cross-genre features on its curriculum, providing creative writing students to engage in contemporary challenges.

Oxford exclusively offers a Master of Studies in Creative Writing which is a two-year program. The curriculum is tailored for students interested in writing novels, short fiction, TV and radio drama, screenwriting, poetry, and narrative non-fiction. With intensive workshops and expert supervisors, creative writing students in Oxford have access to unlock their creative and critical potential.

2. University of Cambridge

Based within the Institute of Continuing Education, the University of Cambridge Center for Creative Writing is dedicated to using the power of literature to form collaborations with different parts of the world. They pride themselves in their diverse community with an inclusive environment for their local and international students.

This leading creative writing school offers the following master’s programs: Creative Writing, Crime and Thriller Writing, and Writing for Performance. These degrees are also designed to be accessible for employed students, both part-time and full-time. Their curriculum is structured to discuss the production of creative work in different genres and equip the students with creative practice. Graduates from the University of Cambridge are known to develop their own writing and self-editing skills which are impressive assets during employment.

3. University of Manchester

Another institution known for being a top creative writing school in Europe is the University of Manchester. It is among the top universities in the United Kingdom for English language and literary excellence. It is known for having a rich literary history and culture. Manchester produced some of the best poets, novelists, and science fiction writers in the UK.

They offer a three-year BA in English Literature with Creative Writing program. Their intensive curriculum for this program is backed by the research of their Creative Writing academic staff. Postgraduate programs for creative writing include a master’s and PhD in Creative Writing. With their workshops and learning programs for historical and cultural contexts, Manchester is a production house of in-demand creative writers.

4. University of Edinburgh

Located in Scotland, the University of Edinburgh is noted for its rich history, expert alumni, and world-renowned scholars for centuries since 1583. They have a solid reputation in the field of Literature, garnering the oldest literary awards in Britain, and some ground-breaking scientific research including the first clone animal, Dolly the sheep. As the university that housed the author of Sherlock Holmes, Edinburgh’s inspirational and innovative teaching has continued to bring an impact to the world.

The University of Edinburgh is definitely among Europe’s best creative writing schools. It offers postgraduate programs for literature including a Master’s in Creative Writing and a PhD in Creative Writing. Their encouraging professors and intensive workshops shape the students to develop their creative skills as a writer. While studying, students can also showcase their written works in UK’s student newspaper, ‘The Student’, along with many spoken word gigs and poetry slams.

5. King’s College London

Founded in 1829, the King’s College of London is known for delivering exceptional education and innovative research. They are dedicated to making a positive impact in the world through sustainability and service. Moreover, their English department is home to award-winning poets, essayists, fiction authors, literary critics, novelists, and biographers. With KCL’s creative writing staff as Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature, their curriculum and teaching style shape students in the field.

King’s College London is a top creative writing school in Europe and offers a doctoral degree in Creative Writing Research wherein students engage with professionals from publishing and performance industries to build potential routes to publication. Their practical learning ground allows the students to collaborate with fellow writers to improve their craft.

6. Lancaster University

Lancaster University is among the few UK universities with a collegiate system, offering nine colleges in total. They have continuously shaped creative, talented, and committed graduates. They value art and culture within their university, offering various facilities that support the creative endeavors of their students.

Lancaster University offers undergraduate programs for creative writing including, BA Film and Creative Writing, Theater and Creative Writing, English Literature and Creative Writing, as well as Fine Arts and Creative Writing. Each specializes in different mediums in producing written works. Meanwhile, students can choose to proceed in getting a Master’s and a PhD in Creative Writing. With their distance learning and modular features, students at this top-notch creative writing school can choose which delivery of learning suits them best.

7. University of Warwick

The University of Warwick is among the world-renowned schools located in England that produce competent graduates with successful takeoff in their respective careers. Warwick values international partnerships to create impact in global scope in the realms of research and education. Warwick prides itself in innovation, inclusion, regional leadership, and international connections as its strategies to carry out excellence.

Warwick offers a three-year BA English Literature and Creative Writing program. Their curriculum is designed to fully prepare students to thrive in understanding literature to transform the world through communication. Graduates with this degree pursue a career as creative directors, producers, authors, poets, and composers, among many other opportunities. They also offer a Master’s degree in Writing under the Warwick Writing Program that provides technical skills in creative work of any genre.

 

We hope that you found this article on the best creative writing schools in Europe informative and helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hyun is the founder at Global Scholarships. He has received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College as well as $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for his undergraduate degree and has been offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. Read more about his scholarship journey here.

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2 Comments

  1. Johnny - Reply

    This list is awful, Oxbridge hasn’t got a name in Creative Writing AT ALL, of the above list only Lancaster has a name for postgrad Creative Writing.

    The top place in the UK to study Creative Writing is the University of Anglia , which has turned out numerous Booker prize winners and Nobel prize winnters, check UEA Creative Writing, its one of the best in the world, never mind Europe, and it doesn’t make your top 7???

    It leads me to think, this is based on generic rankings of university and no real research ( which is weird as its aimed at research students!! lol..

    What about Bath? A brilliant Creative Writing program, or St Andrews? Or Kent, which runs a school at both Kent and Paris ? Or Sheffield Hallam?

    This article is so bad , its a joke….

    • Hyun Lee - Reply

      Hi Johnny, thank you for your constructive criticism. We will review our rankings for the article and the universities that you have mentioned. I do apologize for our lack of research and will take this as a way to improve our rankings and articles.

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