Reproduced from an original in the Borthwick Institute, University of York. Reference TAK/1/28, Takamiya Manuscripts Collection.

Discover a World of Literature at York

English Literature at York is an international, cosmopolitan, and highly vocational subject. We are distinctive in inviting you to get to grips with literatures and writing from across the globe. During your degree, you will encounter literatures from Africa, Australia/New Zealand, Europe, South America, South East Asia, the US, and beyond: in English, in translation, and with the option of studying works in their original languages. We believe reading beyond borders reflects the realities of literary history: writers and literatures have always influenced one another across national and linguistic boundaries.

Engaging with questions of language, translation, and cultural difference equips you with important skills in linguistic analysis and description. We also know that foreign language skills are increasingly valued by employers in a whole range of fields.

As part of our commitment to a global curriculum, single subject English students take ‘A World of Literature I: Classics and Cultural Translations’ and ‘A World of Literature II: Empire and Aftermaths’ in your first year.

In second year, single-subject and combined course students choose from an exciting range of World Literature Modules, which run in Semester 2. Some are taught partly in the original language, partly in translation; others entirely in translation. The choice is yours, and will be governed by your experience of studying a foreign language before starting university, and/or your interest in taking up a foreign language while a student at York.

Find out more about our undergraduate degrees