English at the University of South Wales has a vibrant and highly-rated research community of literary scholars, creative writers and language specialists.
While our research is internationally-recognised and ranges from the medieval period to the present day, English at USW has a particularly strong commitment to the south Wales valleys in which the University is situated.
In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework - the government’s official measure of research capability - 79% of our research outputs were rated as being world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*). Half our research was rated as being world-leading with respect to Impact. Overall, 66% of all English research submitted was judged to be world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*).
Our research group includes creative writers such as short story writer Barrie Llewelyn, poet and critic Professor Kevin Mills, and novelist Dr David Towsey. Our literary scholars include experts on postcolonial writing (Dr Nicholas Dunlop), on contemporary women’s poetry (Professor Alice Entwistle), on historical fiction and the Gothic (Professor Diana Wallace) and on Welsh writing in English.
TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) specialists Dr Mike Chick and Dr Rhian Webb research contemporary approaches to language teaching methodology and also examine how government policies on language and migration affect both language acquisition and integration.
As well as publishing books, articles, poems and other items, our staff regularly disseminate their work through public lectures, readings and events, as well academic conferences.
Almost without fail, creative writing graduates from our PhD in Writing and MPhil in Writing have gone on to publish successfully, many of them winning prizes.
English co-hosts the University’s Centre for Gender Studies in Wales, co-directed by Professor Diana Wallace, Dr Ruth Gaffney Rhys and Dr Rachel Lock Lewis English researchers also contribute to the Centre for Media in Small Nations and the George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling.
If you have any questions about our research or would like to study or collaborate with us, please contact Professor Diana Wallace.
For questions about an English PhD, MPhil in Writing or Masters by Research please contact Alison Crudgington in the Graduate Office.
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