Program Overview

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Department of English Literature and Creative Writing, Queen's University

The Department of English Literature and Creative Writing at Queen's University offers a range of undergraduate and graduate programs.

Undergraduate Programs

Overview

The undergraduate programs in English Literature and Creative Writing provide students with a comprehensive education in literary studies and creative writing.

Degrees

• Major
• Joint Honours
• Minor

Courses

The department offers a variety of courses in English literature and creative writing, including:

• Topics in Victorian Literature I
• Other courses in English literature and creative writing

Topics in Victorian Literature I

This course will look at Victorian literature on working-class and poor children. We will consider how the poor youth's body was contested ground for cultural reformers interested in ridding the nation of urban problems such as crime and chronic unemployment. We will look at representations of cross-class salvation in works by Charles Dickens (Oliver Twist) and R.M. Ballantyne (Dusty Diamonds), and we will also discuss moral education and Christian redemption in fiction by Charles Kingsley (Water Babies) and Hesba Stretton (Lost Gip). The majority of class discussion and readings will focus on Victorian debates regarding the ethics of youth education and social reform—questions about whom could be saved and how. We will compare novels by Clarence Rook (The Hooligan Nights) and Arthur Morrison (A Child of the Jago) with non-fictional writings by Reginald Bray and CFG Masterman on Victorian youths and gang violence. Our conversations will not be limited to bad boys; we will also look at fiction about delinquent or fallen girls, including works such as Margaret Harkness's A City Girl and William Pett Ridge's Mord Em'ly.

Prerequisites

• ENGL 200
• ENGL 290

Additional Information

This course is repeatable for credit under different topic titles.

• Units: 3.0
• Term: Winter 2026
• Section: ENGL 451-002
• Delivery mode: In-person
• Instructor: S. Brooke Cameron

Graduate Programs

Overview

The graduate programs in English Literature and Creative Writing provide students with advanced education in literary studies and creative writing.

Degrees

• MA
• MPhil
• PhD

Courses

The department offers a variety of courses in English literature and creative writing, including graduate-level courses.

Creative Writing

Overview

The Creative Writing program provides students with a comprehensive education in creative writing.

Faculty and Instructors

The department has a faculty of experienced writers and instructors.

Courses

The department offers a variety of courses in creative writing.

Writer in Residence

The department hosts a writer in residence program.

Publications

The department publishes a literary magazine.

Creative Writing Events

The department hosts various creative writing events.

The Joanne Page Gallery

The department has a gallery showcasing student work.

Research

Overview

The department is involved in various research initiatives and units.

Publications

The department publishes research in various fields of English literature and creative writing.

Initiatives and Units

• Finding Out the Woman's Part
• Strathy Language Unit

People

Overview

The department has a faculty of experienced scholars and writers.

Faculty and Associate Faculty

The department has a faculty of experienced scholars and writers.

Graduate Students

The department has a community of graduate students.

Staff

The department has a staff of experienced administrators.

Emeritus and Retired Faculty

The department has a list of emeritus and retired faculty members.