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"a vibrant, international postgraduate community..."

Find out what else our students have said about our department.

Miriam, MA in Cultures of Empire Alex, MA in Film and Literature‌ Emily, MA in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture Ellen, MA in Medieval Literatures‌ Simon, MA in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture‎ Catherine, PhD James, MA in Modern Literature and Culture‌ Sarah, MA in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture Hedley, PhD Camilla, MA in Renaissance Literature, 1500-1700‎ Lavanya, MA in Cultures of Empire  Kirby, MA in Modern Literature and Culture  Inderjit, MA in Renaissance Literature, 1500-1700 Claire, MA in Nineteenth-Century Literature and Culture and PhD Judith, MA in Modern Literature and Culture ‎ Abigail, MA in Medieval English Literatures  Alex, MA in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Culture‌ AnnaMaria, PhD in Renaissance and Early Modern Studies‌ Jenny, MA in Victorian Literature and Culture‌ Leigh, MA in Renaissance Literature, 1500-1700‌ Lucy, MA in Poetry and Poetics Laura, PhD Marie, PhD‌ Tom, MA in Film and Literature‌ Richard Lukey, MA in English Literary Studies

Kirby, MA in Modern Literature and Culture

Kirby, MA in Modern Literature and Culture  

The process of planning to study overseas can be a somewhat overwhelming and daunting endeavour. When researching the respective strengths of departments at the universities of interest, one needs to rely predominantly on the internet and email correspondence.

I applied to six different institutions in the United Kingdom and from the outset I felt that York was distinctively special. The treatment I received from the administrative and academic staff of York was always professional and friendly – any assistance or information I requested was cordially and promptly afforded. This eagerness to help (not only the guidance I received from the University during the application stages, but also the assistance I received upon arrival in York ) set York apart from the other Universities I had come into contact with.

Speaking on a more academic level, what attracted me to York was the impressive reputation of the English department as well as the University’s overall ranking in the league tables. The department’s strength in the area of postcolonial studies and South African literature featured significantly in my reasons for choosing York . Two members of the academic staff, Professors Derek Attridge and David Attwell – both eminent scholars in the field of South African literature – were integral factors in deciding to come to York.

Not only does the University possess a welcoming and warm environment, but the city of York is in itself an attraction. The city is beautiful and while compact, offers a multitude of things to do and see.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at York . I have felt that by being here I have not only been afforded the opportunity to grow intellectually, but also personally. The experience of studying overseas and coming into contact with a vibrant, international postgraduate community has expanded my literary, academic and personal horizons. The courses I have taken in my MA in Modern Literature and Culture have all been thought-provoking, but very importantly, pertinent to my research interests and philosophical concerns. My focus on South African literature has been nurtured by the department and I feel that I have been able to contemplate issues with a refreshingly novel critical distance, by virtue of studying the literature of my home country in another contextual milieu.