News

OU Creative Writing partner with MK Lit Fest for fiction writing series
19th April 2024
OU-sponsored MK Lit Fest series The Long and Short of It: From flash fiction to the doorstop novel brings new audiences to ground-breaking Creative Writing research and offers PhD students valuable public engagement experience.
Remembering Benjamin Zephaniah
8th December 2023
Emeritus Professor Dennis Walder remembers his experience of working with Benjamin Zephaniah at The Open University and presenting Benjamin with his Honorary Doctorate.
Prof Nicola Watson consults on OU/BBC co-production ‘Being Kae Tempest’
30th November 2023
Professor Nicola Watson consults on OU/BBC co-production Being Kae Tempest which delves into the life of one of the most viscerally exciting artists working in Britain today.
Powerful textile art inspired by psychology research now on display
25th August 2023
A piece of textile art inspired by a Psychology research project has gone on display at Northern Ireland’s Linen Biennale. ‘The Belfast Quilt’ was the brainchild of Heather Richardson, Staff Tutor in English and Creative Writing.
Launch of Arts Council anthology of women writers from migrant backgrounds
30th June 2023
OU Creative Writing lecturer Dr Emma Claire Sweeney celebrates launch of anthology by women from migrant backgrounds produced during a year-long Arts Council-funded mentoring programme run by The Ruppin Agency Writers’ Studio, which she directs.
Creative Writing academic joins the inspiring line-up for Creative Coalition Festival 2022
17th January 2022
Dr Emma Claire Sweeney, Lecturer in Creative Writing for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), will be among the fantastic line-up of speakers for this year’s Creative Coalition Festival.
Creative Writing student Fiona wins major “emerging writer” competition with her module assignment
17th August 2021
Creative Writing student Fiona Monahan has been selected by the inaugural Genesis Jewish Book Week Emerging Writers' Programme as one of ten emerging writers in the UK.
Launch of Creative Writing Handbook for Health Care Workers
28th May 2021
The Creative Writing Handbook for Health Care Workers is the result of The Open University and North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust joining forces on a pilot to establish whether creative writing practice could reduce stress with Health Care Workers.
OU funds Creative Writing research with COVID-19 frontline healthcare workers
30th September 2020
An Open University COVID-19 Rapid Response funding scheme is supporting a series of writing workshops with health care workers in acute care and palliative care in collaboration with the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust. The plan is that this research will lead to the production of a new Creative Writing Handbook for COVID-19 frontline workers.
Working on a Creative Writing PhD during a pandemic lockdown: Cold Dark Matter
8th June 2020
Patrick Wright teaches Literature and Creative Writing at the OU and is currently working on a PhD; a poetry collection called Cold Dark Matter. In this piece, Patrick shares his experience of studying for a PhD during lockdown while also grieving the loss of a partner