Why study the BA in Creative Writing and the Publishing Industry in Aberystwyth?
- The Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies will lead you into a creative world in a location like no other. On the west coast of Wales between Cardigan Bay and the Cambrian Mountains, you’ll be part of a friendly, outward-looking community.
- All our academic staff are active researchers and specialists in their respective fields, including publishing literature, editing and proof reading, and creative translation.
- You will benefit from the support of a Creative Writing lecturer who is a published poet and author.
- The Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies at Aberystwyth University is the oldest department of its kind – a department that has connections with publishing houses and creative bodies and organisations across the country.
- You’ll be able to choose another Celtic language as well as Welsh – Breton, Irish or Scottish Gaelic.
- Public literature experiences will also play an important role in this degree and will provide a lively stage for the activities of the course, eg Kicking the Bar – a quarterly literary event at the Arts Centre, the yearly?Noson Llên a Chan?(Literature and Song NIght), and the literary magazine,?Y Ddraig?(The Dragon).
- The Department has strong links with publishers and local literary bodies and is part of a wider creative community for that reason.
- You’ll be able to undertake a relevant work placement, eg with an editor or an editorial service, a publishing house or independent publisher, or with?Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru?(Books Council of Wales) or?Llenyddiaeth Cymru?(Literature Wales).
- You’ll be able to benefit from the close proximity of?Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru?(the National Library of Wales) and its excellent resources.
- This course will be a solid foundation to a career in the creative writing and publishing industries.
Our Staff
All academic staff in the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies are research active scholars and experts in their chosen fields of study, including the study of languages and literatures as well as creative writing.
With the BA in Creative Writing and the Publishing Industry at Aberystwyth University, you’ll be ready for a career in the writing or publishing industry of your choice.
By the end of the course, you’ll have creative, research and communication skills and will be able to think critically.
Excellent writing and communication skills are highly valued by employers in all areas. To succeed as a writer in today’s world, you’ll need many skills and experiences to enable you to be flexible so that you can make a living as a writer in whatever field appeals to you.?
?Here are some of the possible career areas:
- creative writing
- copywriting
- editing
- publishing
- communications
- blog/website content
- corporate communications
- public relations
- the Civil Service.
Our core modules introduce a broad range of essential skills: an understanding of various basic literary forms and the ability to use them, being self-critical, writing correct Welsh in different registers, an understanding of the publishing industry in Wales and beyond and, above all, the ability to write concisely and purposefully. You can also study a wide variety of different optional modules that focus on language and literature.
There are three available pathways:
·??????First Language pathway with A-level
·??????Second Language pathway
·??????First Language pathway without A-level.
Below are some of the modules that you will study on this course.
First year:
Core modules:
- Cyflwyniad i Ysgrifennu Creadigol
- Sgiliau Astudio Iaith a Llên
- Cymraeg Llyfr a Chymraeg Llafar.
Optional modules:
- Beirdd a Llenorion o 1900 Hyd Heddiw
- Themau a Ffigyrau Llên?c.550–1900
- Cymru a’r Celtiaid
- Gwyddeleg Modern: Cyflwyniad
- Llydaweg: Cyflwyniad.
Second and third years:
Core modules:
- Gweithdai Ysgrifennu Creadigol
- Gloywi Iaith
- Y Golygydd a’r Diwydiant Cyhoeddi
- Portffolio Ysgrifennu Creadigol Annibynnol.
Optional modules:
Y Gymraeg yn y gweithle; Y Gynghanedd: Cwrs Trochi; Astudiaethau Trosi ac Addasu; Y Cyfieithydd a’r Sector Cyfieithu; Testunau bob lliw: darllen testunau Cymraeg LHDT+; Rhyddiaith Tri Chwarter Canrif 1979–; Barddoniaeth Gymraeg Ddiweddar; Rhyddiaith y Dadeni; Dafydd ap Gwilym a’i gyfoeswyr; Beirdd a Noddwyr; Pedair Cainc y Mabinogi; Y Chwedl Arthuraidd; Golwg ar Ferched mewn Llenyddiaeth hyd tua 1500; Traddodiad Benywaidd? Merched a Barddoniaeth yng Nghymru 1400–1800; Traethawd Estynedig; Cymraeg Ddoe a Heddiw: cyflwyniad i ieithyddiaeth.
How will I be taught?
In your first year, you will develop a strong foundation to nurture writing skills and you’ll build on this during your second and third years by working more independently with guidance.
By the time you get to your third year, you will be able to specialise in one or two styles by working more independently in the Independent Creative Writing Portfolio. That path is supported throughout the degree course by both core and optional modules that will give you a strong foundation in language and literature to be able to complete the work. You will learn how to write concisely, purposefully and without using superfluous words; to critically evaluate your own work in a mature way; and to thoroughly analyse literary and professional texts.
You will be taught through lectures, seminars, tutorials, language classes, lessons in reading texts, field work, work experience, workshops, extended essay or project (under supervision), taught learning, working independently, e-learning.?
How will I be assessed?
You will be assessed through exams, tests and language exercises, course work (essays and reviews), project work (which can be collaborative), extended essay, aural assessment (which can be through formal presentations and contributions to seminars), work experience (including formal reports and keeping a reflective diary), activities that assess particular skills (including using literary formsm, IT, creating a bibliography and references, creating a questionnaire, arranging field work), folio work, including creative writing and translation exercises.??
