Creative writing and literary studies

Bloom leads us through the labyrinthine paths which link the writers and critics who have informed and inspired him for so many years. The result is "a critical self-portrait," a sustained meditation on a life lived with and through the great works of the Western canon.

Lively and learned, this up-to-date guide to literary words and concepts is an essential volume for every student and reader of literature. David Mikics sketches the derivations and history of each term, offers useful bibliographic suggestions for most entries, and clarifies the often confusing terrain of literary theory today.

Contains two lectures on this important subject by the distinguished literary critic Sir Frank Kermode. In essays that were originally delivered as Tanner Lectures at Berkeley, Kermode reinterprets the question of canon formation in light of two related and central notions: pleasure and change.

The bewildering variety of approaches, theorists and technical language is lucidly and expertly unravelled. Unlike many books which assume certain positions about the critics and the theories they represent, Peter Barry allows readers to develop their own ideas once first principles and concepts have been grasped.

A wide-ranging anthology of classic essays and important recent statements on the mission and methods of comparative literary studies. This pioneering collection brings together thirty-two pieces, from foundational statements by Herder, Madame de Staël, and Nietzsche to work by a range of the most influential comparatists writing today.

Demystifies the process of creative writing, showing that successful work arises not from talent or inspiration alone. Hazel Smith breaks down writing into incremental stages, revealing processes that are often unconscious or unacknowledged, and shows how they can become part of a systematic writing strategy.

McNally acts as the writer’s friendly drill sergeant, relentlessly honest but bracingly cheerful as he issues his curmudgeonly marching orders. Alternately cranky and philosophical, full of to-the-point anecdotes and honest advice instead of wonkish facts and figures. A droll, truthful, and immensely helpful map to being a writer in today’s complex world.

Tim Mayers explores the nature of the contemporary English department with the intent of drawing connections between the usually separate fields of creative writing and composition studies.

An accessible guide to the entire creative writing process, referring to a wealth of examples from writers such as Umberto Eco, Terry Prachett and Ian Fleming. Topics include how children learn to write, the visual design of text, and the impact of technology on writing.

Creative writing and academic research can seem uncomfortable bedfellows. But in this learned, practical book, Jen Webb shows how 'research practices can invigorate writing; creative practices can invigorate research; and - if properly organised and managed - creative writing can operate as a mode of knowledge generation, a way of exploring problems and answering questions that matter in our current context'. Researching creative writing enables writer-researchers to craft a toolkit that will help them produce better creative work and more rigorous research work.