American Literature

American literature is a huge field intersecting with other global literatures, cultures and nations, reaching from the colonial period to its current, enormously powerful position.

Areas of study

This degree focuses on interdisciplinary approaches to the literature of North America. Our research strengths range from the early US republic to modern and contemporary poetry, culture, and fiction. We welcome applications in all these fields and we particularly encourage projects that engage with history, film, music, media studies, art, and other disciplines in relation to literature.

You’ll also be able to take advantage of the cutting-edge research in American studies conducted in the Sussex Centre for American Studies. You’ll have access to expertise in the history of slavery, the Cold War, US foreign policy and international relations, the politics of sex and gender, and the long, global history of civil rights – all of which have profound resonance in American literary culture