Black British Literature

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard in a relevant/related subject.

Students without BA-equivalent qualifications who have substantial work experience (eg in literary journalism, creative writing, publishing, arts administration), which can be considered as equivalent to formal qualifications, may be admitted provided they demonstrate analytical and academic writing skills to the necessary level.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Launched in 2015 through the joint vision of Dr Deirdre Osborne and Professor Joan Anim-Addo, this ground-breaking MA is timely and necessary. We take Black British literature seriously as a discipline.

"Goldsmiths’ MA in Black British Writing is the only one in the country, ergo the only one where our Black British books dominate the syllabus. We rarely appear on university reading lists, other than as token gestures." Bernardine Evaristo MBE (Author, Booker Prize co-Winner 2019)

Why study MA Black British Literature at Goldsmiths

This Masters degree is a world first. There’s nowhere else you can study black British writing in such an in-depth way – in the actual country where the writing is produced. We trace diasporic and aesthetic routes and draw upon the expertise of literary and drama specialists.

You’ll analyse an extremely diverse range of texts from novelists, poets, short story writers, essayists, life-writers and playwrights. You’ll also locate these writers in their historical context, gaining an understanding of the history of black people in Britain through how they are represented in literature.

"A Master’s degree programme that enables the serious study of the creative and artistic history and achievement of black British novelists, poets, short story writers, essayists, and playwrights.” Professor Emerita R Victoria Arana, (Howard University, Washington DC)

Black people continue to be massively underrepresented in academia. Literature written by black authors is often missing from university course lists. The Black British Literature Masters degree is a vital step in increasing intellectual awareness of, and amplifying these black British voices. In studying this Masters, you will become part of this process. It is a decolonised degree in action.

We welcome applications from those seeking academic careers, teachers looking to decolonise their curriculum, professionals who are returning to learning, and performers and artists who wish to develop their analytic and critical thinking skills.

Based in London you have access to all the resources the city offers including the Black Cultural Archives London, the Black Plays Archive at the Royal National Theatre, the National Archives, The British Library, George Padmore Institute as part of fieldwork tasks and further research.

Internships

Students of the MA Black British Literature have the opportunity to apply for one of two paid one-month summer internships with Hachette, one of the big four global publishing houses.

These offer pro-rata pay in line with the Hachette starting salary of £24,000/year. The internships aim to give students a broad understanding of how a major publishing house works, learning about the role that each department plays in the life of a book. You will be able to attend meetings within a range of departments, network and connect with staff across the company, and get hands-on experience of the day-to-day tasks carried out by in-house teams.

Hear from two students who undertook the internships, and from the publisher who talks about why it's so important for publishing houses to attract, retain and nurture a diverse and representative workforce.

These internships give you much sought-after practical experience and have recently led to one of our graduates being employed in a full-time position with the publisher.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Dr Deirdre Osborne.

Information for international students

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 7.0 with a 7.0 in writing and no element lower than 6.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

Fees and funding

Find out more about postgraduate fees and explore funding opportunities. If you're applying for funding, you may be subject to an application deadline.