Welcome to Key Stage 5 English Literature.

“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though.”
― J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

You should consider English Literature if:

• You genuinely enjoy reading poetry, drama and/or novels;
• You like to discover authors who offer you new experiences and challenge your perceptions;
• You take pleasure in examining the techniques used by writers;
• You relish the opportunity to assert your views in discussion and on paper.

A full list of the topics is included in the sidebar.

What next?

English Literature is an academic subject that strongly develops skills in research, analysis, rigorous thinking, argument and the fluent and organised presentation of ideas both in speech and writing. It equips you to go onto a very wide range of academic courses after A Level and is an excellent preparation for an equally wide range of careers requiring such skills. For the groovier souls out there, you may even decide to become a writer yourself!

Recent star alumni include:

- Oliver Thompson (graduate at Exeter University, post-grad in Creative Writing at Oxford);

- Jack Colley (currently studying a PhD in Literature at Oxford University);

- Cameron Duckworth (studying Creative Writing at Chichester University);

- Jude Wegerer (beginning studies in Linguistics at Durham University).

English Literature can be studied alongside any other subject at A Level. Students have often found useful connections with Film Studies, Drama, Philosophy, Psychology, History and Ancient History. Students have also successfully combined studying Literature with Mathematics and Science subjects.