Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Women in Historical Fiction of the English Civil War Era Creative/Critical PhD program at Loughborough University offers students the opportunity to conduct research into the representation of women in historical fictions and biofictional novels and films set during the English Civil Wars. This research aims to investigate how female figures are portrayed in modern historical and/or biofictional novels and what this might mean more broadly in terms of recovering women’s voices from history.

Qualification(s) Available

• PhD

Entry Requirements

• Students should have at least an upper second class bachelor degree or equivalent qualifications and experience together with an English Language qualification.
• It is desirable that prospective students have an MA in creative writing or historical studies which includes the seventeenth century.

Fees and Funding

• UK fee: £5,006 Full-time degree per annum
• International fee: £22,360 Full-time degree per annum
• Fees for the academic year apply to projects starting in October 2025, January 2026, April 2026, and July 2026.

Duration and Start Date

• Full-time: 3 years
• Part-time: 6 years
• Start date: January 2026, April 2026, July 2026

Application Deadline

• 1st October 2025

Project Reference

• EN-SR-25

Location

• Loughborough

Subject Area(s)

• English

Project Details

This PhD project provides an opportunity to conduct research into the ways in which women are represented in historical fictions and biofictional novels and films set in the period of the English Civil Wars. Often, stories set in those times focus on men and battles, but an increasing number of recent novels tell the story from the point of view of women who lived through this era of social upheaval too.

The research would investigate how female figures are portrayed in modern historical and/or biofictional novels and what this might mean more broadly in terms of recovering women’s voices from history. Questions to be explored include:

• How do literary or dramatic articulations of women in the civil war era intervene in dominant understandings of the roles of women at the time?
• How can fiction help to diversify the ways in which the era of the wars and interregnum are viewed?
• How does the aesthetic form/style of a cultural work contribute to its communication of the lived experiences of women in this era?
• How can contemporary life writings (letters, journals, and diaries) be best used to inspire creative responses that would engage a modern readership?

These and other questions might form part of a creative/critical PhD project on this subject. Proposals focused on individual historical figures or events, or comparative studies of the writings in a particular genre (religious, domestic, etc.), are welcome. The main output of the doctoral research would be a research-led historical/biofictional novel that seeks to answer some of these questions and others in a creative and engaging way.

Supervisors

• Dr. Sara Read

English Language Requirements

Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website.

Research Areas

The project is open to a wide range of research areas within the context of women in historical fiction of the English Civil War era, including but not limited to:

• Historical fiction and biofiction
• Representation of women in historical contexts
• Creative writing and historical research
• Literary and dramatic articulations of women’s experiences
• Aesthetic forms and styles in cultural works
• Contemporary life writings and their use in inspiring creative responses

Admission Criteria

The University uses the Shanghai Academic Ranking of World Universities to identify the required final mark for applicants from different countries. The specific admission criteria vary by country and can be found in the detailed entry requirements section.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees cover the cost of teaching, assessment, and operating University facilities. Fees are reviewed annually and are likely to increase to take into account inflationary pressures.

Funding

Information on research degree funding is available, and applicants are encouraged to explore these opportunities.