Latest news: Creative writing programme wins Queen's award

The University of East Anglia’s (UEA) creative writing programme has won the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education. 24/11/2011

The award is one of the most sought-after in higher education, and is only given to departments which demonstrate world-class teaching and work.

UEA's Creative Writing MA is currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, with notable alumni including three Booker Prize winning novelists in Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan and Anne Enright.

‘This is a tremendous accolade because it not only recognises UEA’s groundbreaking role in establishing creative writing as an academic discipline in the UK, and the unrivalled success of our alumni in achieving publication and major literary awards - it also recognises the continuing excellence of what we do,’ said UEA director of creative writing, Andrew Cowan.

His thoughts were echoed by Professor David Peters Corbett, dean of the faculty of arts and humanities.

‘Over the last 40 years, the programme has been host to a distinguished series of tutors and to a striking number of future successful authors who have come to UEA to study with them. Creative writing is a jewel in the university’s crown and the award is a wonderful acknowledgment of an intellectually dynamic feature of humanities at UEA,’ he said.

The university plans to release a book celebrating its four decades in December, with autobiographical contributions from some of the courses most well-known graduates and tutors such as Andrew Motion.

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