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Research area

English

A row of books in a library, with their spines turned away from the viewer

We cover the range of English literary studies, from medieval travel narratives to the African detective novel. In REF 2021, the most recent national research evaluation, our research was ranked joint 8th nationally and in the top 10% of departments in the country. Ninety-five per cent was judged 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent'.

Research highlights

Multicoloured seashells

Southampton’s academics team up with local creative writing organisation to prompt new relationships between the University and local communities

Culture and creativity
Future societies and communities
Environment, sustainability and clean growth
What began life as a project about the coast became an exercise in something much bigger

Music and AI combine for quirky performance

AI, big data and analytics
Culture and creativity
Digital
Can artificial intelligence (AI) write a love letter? Southampton researchers in Music, English and Computer Science have shown that, with some help from humans, it can!
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Uncovering the importance of mentoring in supporting young writers

Culture and creativity
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Understanding our relationship with money

Culture and creativity
Future societies and communities
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Using culture and heritage to regenerate towns

Future societies and communities
Culture and creativity
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Research institutes, centres and groups

Centre for Modern and Contemporary Writing (CMCW)

The Centre for Modern and Contemporary Writing supports interdisciplinary research on 20th and 21st-century writing and culture.

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