UEA Creative Writing Course

The University of East Anglia's Creative Writing Course was founded by Sir Malcolm Bradbury and Sir Angus Wilson in 1970. The M.A. is widely regarded as the most prestigious and successful in the country and competition for places is notoriously tough.

The course is split into four strands: Prose, Creative Non-Fiction, Poetry and Scriptwriting (which is Skillset accredited). All four result in an M.A. qualification upon successful completion of the course. The Course Directors are currently Andrew Cowan, Kathryn Hughes, Lavinia Greenlaw and Val Taylor respectively. Course tutors include Amit Chaudhuri, Trezza Azzopardi, Giles Foden, Tobias Jones, James Lasdun, Jean McNeil, Margaret Atwood and George Szirtes.

Writers such as Angela Carter, Rose Tremain, Andrew Motion, W. G. Sebald, Michèle Roberts and Patricia Duncker have also taught on the course.

Writers-in-residence have included Alan Burns and Margaret Atwood.

Notable alumni

Nobel Prize winners

• Kazuo Ishiguro (MA, 1980), 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate and 1989 Booker Prize–winning author for The Remains of the Day

Booker Prize winners

Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Kazuo Ishiguro

Booker Prize winner Ian McEwan

Booker Prize winner Anne Enright

• Anne Enright (MA, 1987), 2007 Booker Prize–winning author for The Gathering
• Kazuo Ishiguro (MA, 1980), 2017 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate and 1989 Booker Prize–winning author for The Remains of the Day
• Ian McEwan (MA, 1971), 1998 Booker Prize–winning author for Amsterdam

Costa Book Award winners

Costa Book Award winner Adam Foulds

• Tash Aw (MA, 2003), Whitbread Book Award–winning novelist in the 2005 First Novel category for The Harmony Silk Factory
• Susan Fletcher (MA, 2002), Whitbread Book Award–winning novelist in the 2004 First Novel category for Eve Green
• Adam Foulds (MA, 2001), Costa Book Award–winning poet in the 2008 Poetry category for The Broken Word
• Emma Healey (MA, 2011), Costa Book Award–winning poet and novelist in the 2014 First Novel category for Elizabeth is Missing
• Andrew Miller (MA, 1991), Costa Book Award–winning novelist in the 2011 Novel category for Pure
• Christie Watson (MA, 2009), Costa Book Award–winning novelist in the 2011 First Novel category for Tiny Sunbirds Far Away

Women's Prize for Fiction winners

• Naomi Alderman (MA, 2003), 2017 Women's Prize for Fiction-winning novelist for The Power

Other alumni

Historical novelist Tracy Chevalier

Novelist John Boyne

• Nicholas Allan (MA, 1981), children's author
• Mona Arshi (MA, 2012), Forward Prize-winning poet
• Trezza Azzopardi (MA, 1998), novelist
• Martyn Bedford (MA, 1994), novelist
• Brett Ellen Block (MA, 1998), author
• Peter Bowker (MA, 1991), screenwriter
• John Boyne (MA, 1996), novelist
• Aifric Campbell (MA, 2003), writer
• Tracy Chevalier (MA, 1994), historical novelist
• Judy Corbalis (MA, 1990), novelist
• Andrew Cowan (MA, 1985), novelist
• Helen Cross (MA, 1998), novelist
• Fflur Dafydd (MA, 2000), writer
• Donna Daley-Clarke (MA, 2001), novelist
• Louise Doughty (MA, 1987), novelist
• Suzannah Dunn (MA, 1989), novelist
• Joe Dunthorne (MA, 2005), novelist
• Susan Elderkin (MA, 1994), author
• Oliver Emanuel (MA, 2002), playwright
• Diana Evans (MA, 2003), novelist
• Stephen Finucan (MA, 1996), short story writer
• David Flusfeder (MA, 1988), author
• Bo Fowler (MA, 1995), novelist
• Ruth Gilligan (MA, 2011), writer
• Tim Guest (MA, 1999), author
• Stephanie Hale (MA, 1993), writer
• Mohammed Hanif (MA, 2005), writer
• Jane Harris (MA, 1992), novelist and screenwriter
• Alix Hawley (MA, 2002), novelist
• Kathryn Hughes (MA, 1987), historian
• Naomi Ishiguro (MA, 2018), short story writer
• Mick Jackson (MA, 1992), novelist
• Christopher James (MA, 2000), poet
• Anjali Joseph (MA, 2008), author
• Panos Karnezis (MA, 2000), novelist
• Larissa Lai (MA, 2001), novelist
• Hernán Lara Zavala (MA 1981), novelist
• Joanna Laurens (MA, 2003), playwright
• Ágnes Lehóczky (MA, 2006), poet
• Frances Liardet (MA, 2000), translator of Arabic literature
• Toby Litt (MA, 1995), novelist
• Philip MacCann (MA), writer
• Deirdre Madden (MA, 1985), novelist
• Robert McGill (MA, 2002), writer
• Sarah Emily Miano (MA, 2002), author
• Neel Mukherjee (MA, 2001), writer
• Paul Murray (MA, 2001), novelist
• Sandra Newman (MA, 2002), writer
• Kathy Page (MA, 1988), novelist
• Glenn Patterson (MA, 1986), novelist
• Christine Pountney (MA, 1997), author
• Dina Rabinovitch (MA, 2000), journalist and writer
• Ben Rice (MA, 2000), novelist
• Eliza Robertson (MA, 2012), author
• Tom Saunders (MA, 1987), author
• Anthony Sattin (MA, 1984), writer
• Simon Scarrow (MA, 1992), author
• James Scudamore (MA, 2004), novelist
• Owen Sheers (MA, 1998), author, poet and playwright
• Jeremy Sheldon (MA, 1996), novelist
• Robert Sheppard (MA, 1979), poet
• Kathryn Simmonds (MA, 2002), poet
• Rob Magnuson Smith (MA 2010), novelist
• Paul Stewart (MA, 1979), writer
• Julia Stuart (MA, 2013), novelist
• Todd Swift (MA, 2004), poet
• Sharlene Teo (MA, 2013), novelist
• Mark Tilton (MA, 1997), screenwriter
• Carol Topolski (MA, 2004), novelist
• Erica Wagner (MA, 1991), author and literary editor of The Times
• Craig Warner (MA, 2013), playwright and screenwriter
• Matt Whyman (MA, 1992), novelist
• Clare Wigfall (MA, 2000), writer
• Luke Williams (MA, 2002), author
• D. W. Wilson (MA, 2010), author
• Jennifer Wong (MA, 2009), writer and poet

External links

• UEA Creative Writing webpages