University of Exeter supporting national campaign to highlight the public impact of research in English departments

The University of Exeter is joining with counterparts across the country on a national campaign to highlight the public impact of English research.

#EnglishCreates will showcase some of the best examples of research in the field that are having a significant impact on the economy and society, both in the UK and internationally.

They include the work of Professor Pascale Aebischer MBE at Exeter, who led a ground-breaking study on the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had had upon the creative sector, before producing a series of recommendations for the UK government and the theatre industry.

Also featured will be the University of Bristol’s Dr Jo Nadin, an expert in the connection between child empowerment and comic fiction, whose World Book Day book, Worst Class in the World in Danger!, sold more than 100,000 copies in four weeks; and Professor Islam Issa, of Birmingham City University, who curated an exhibition on the contribution of Muslims in World War One, which attracted more than 50,000 visitors.

“Though they are often thought of as being confined to archives and libraries, researchers in fields of English language and literature are increasingly finding ways of changing lives,” says Andrew McRae, Professor of Renaissance Studies in the Department of English and Creative Writing, and Director of #EnglishCreates. “But English is a living subject, deeply embedded in our culture and society, and the examples we’ve gathered demonstrate the value English is adding to British lives. And they remind us how English degrees also face outward from the university, equipping graduates with life-long skills to respond meaningfully to challenges like the environmental crisis and technological change.”

English departments include some of the UK’s most dynamic public intellectuals, including Sarah Churchwell, Robert Macfarlane and Corinne Fowler. They also house some of the country’s most important creative writers such as Simon Armitage, Kathleen Jamie and Daljit Nagra.

As part of the #EnglishCreates campaign, University English will publicize some of the best examples of impactful research via social media channels throughout June, leading up to the English Shared Futures conference at the University of York in July. The ongoing #EnglishCreates campaign aims to show how young people can create a difference in the world through an English degree, and futureproof their skills for life, work, and social change.

“The overwhelming conclusion that I drew from the last Research Excellence Framework (REF) in 2021, and which remains true today, is that colleagues in English Language and Literature across the UK are producing research that engages, inspires, and challenges collaborators and communities well beyond the university sector,” said Professor Greg Walker of the University of Edinburgh, and Chair of the English Language and Literature sub-panel for REF2021. “Working with civic bodies, groups, and commercial enterprises both great and small, they are contributing to societal challenges in health, the environment, the economy, and the cultural and leisure sectors, demonstrably changing lives for the better.”

Exeter is renowned for its research expertise across a range of areas in English, spanning medieval times to the present day. Its Creative Writing team has a particular strength in writing for children, while recent appointments across the department have established new areas of research activity in publishing, digital media and the creative industries. The department also has strong connections with regional and national cultural organizations.

The University also has a proud heritage of teaching English, both as a single honours degree, and in combination with other subjects such as Drama, Film Studies and Creative Writing. It boasts several famous alumni, including musician Thom Yorke; naturalist and presenter Steve Backshall MBE; Oscar-nominated actress Vanessa Kirby; and award-winning screenwriter Alice Birch.

For more information about #EnglishCreates, visit the campaign’s website. For more information about the July conference, see the English Shared Futures site.