Creative Writing at UCD
UCD has long been associated with some of Ireland’s greatest writers, including James Joyce, Flann O’Brien, Mary Lavin, Anthony Cronin, John McGahern, Neil Jordan, Conor McPherson, Marina Carr, Colm Tóibín, Emma Donoghue, Maeve Binchy and many others.
The School of English, Drama and Film has always included in its programme of extra-curricular activities a rich array of readings, writing workshops, writers’ groups, and special seminars offered by writers-in-residence to both undergraduates and postgraduates.
In 2006 a structured programme of courses and supervision, the now well established MA in Creative Writing, was introduced to enable committed writers to develop their potential within a supportive framework. It is a one year course of lectures, seminars, workshops and supervision meetings which aims to provide committed writers with taught classes on theories and practices of writing, presentation and editing techniques, reading of selected texts as writers and supervision of a major writing project. UCD also offers an MFA and PhD in Creative Writing, and a four year Humanities BA degree pathway in English with Creative Writing.
The core faculty is made up of Professor Anne Enright, Professor Ian Davidson, Associate Professor and Director of the Creative Writing Programme Paul Perry, and Dr. Sarah Moss.
Adjunct faculty includes writers Declan Hughes, Catherine Morris, Gavin Corbett, and Paula Hughes. Each year an Arts Council of Ireland Writer in Residence is appointed. Writers such as Sinead Gleeson, Molly McCloskey, and Colette Bryce have held this supportive position. Many of our gifted graduates have gone on to publish critically acclaimed and award winning books.
Undergraduate students interested in creative writing run a popular English and Literary Society, publish their own creative writing magazine, Caveat Lecteur, and produce a number of literary happenings on and off campus.
The UCD Creative Writing programme is a dynamic community of creative practice and has close links with MoLI – the Museum of Literature Ireland, Poetry Ireland, and The Irish Writers’ Centre, and is strategically located in Dublin, an UNESCO City of Literature.