Short courses

Our courses aim to support, inspire and create new opportunities.

• Reading English Literature
  This course aims to be enjoyable introduction to the study of classic and modern literature. Share your ideas, explore poetry and gain a greater understanding of Shakespeare.
• Mastering English Literature
  This course is for graduates in any discipline from any university who want to return to study and sharpen their study skills or prepare for the MA in English Literature at Bristol.

• Community Past and Present: Studying Social History
  We run three 8-week taster courses a year for adults who would like to try University-level study in an open and supportive environment. These are free to join, with no prior qualifications required. The tasters are held at community organisations, across the city of Bristol, and priority is given to residents of the local area.

• The Monthly Read
  Join our monthly seminar-style sessions led by a University tutor to discuss popular and little-known fiction.
• Detective and Crime Fiction
  A 8-week course exploring detective and crime fictions from its beginnings in the nineteenth century to modern crime fictions.
• Interpreting Shakespeare
  Deepen your understanding of a selected Shakespeare play with a leading Shakespeare director using theatrical and academic techniques of interpretation.
• Literature and Environmental Challenge
  This new short course will trace a history of Environmental writing through exploring a range of international fiction, poetry and literary non-fiction.

• Write Now
  This exciting course combines the study of contemporary novels and group discussion with the opportunity and inspiration to develop your own creative writing.
• Memoir & Life Writing
  How can we write about our lived experience? This course aims to encourage, support, and excite participants in engaging with creative writing in a safe and informal space.
• Introduction to freelance journalism
  This course will introduce you to the nuts and bolts of journalistic writing.
• Writing your World
  This course enables students to use life writing techniques to write their own short story over eight weeks.
• A World of Poetic Forms
  This exciting new course explores an array of poetic forms with origins from all over the world. Students will read and discuss a range of engaging examples before trying the form themselves.
• Nature Writing
  This short course provides a rich and supportive forum for students to develop their nature/environmental writing (non-fiction).
• Creative Writing Mentoring Scheme for intermediate writers
  Our mentoring programme is designed to provide intermediate writers with focussed support to help address specific issues they are facing in their writing. You will be matched with a mentor who has expertise in a genre/genres of your choice.

• Black History: Revisited
  Black History Revisited is a short course designed primarily to help mature students progress to a degree in the History Department. This course will provide you with historical knowledge and critical skills to understand contemporary debates around black history.
• An Introduction to Genealogy
  This 8-week course run by Dr Penny Walters will include an introduction to family history and genealogy, and the many resources available.
• Genealogy 2: Delving Deeper
  This short course will introduce participants to lateral thinking, using research logs and devising timelines for a more critical evaluation of your family history research.