This summer the University and our Department of English Studies celebrate 400 years of Shakespeare in Durham in the best possible way - through world-class theatre.

Assistant Professor in Black British Literature, Dr Henghameh Saroukhani, explores the misconceptions, and racism, surrounding Windrush.

The Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) and the Department of English Studies are delighted to announce the appointment of our new Professor in Practice, Nick Barley.

We’re launching a new scholarship scheme to support UK students of Black heritage to study English literature at Durham, where their financial circumstances may be a barrier to them accessing higher education.  

Our cutting-edge Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) has been awarded a £9m Discovery Research Platform Award to develop a new Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities (DRP-MH).

We are ranked 38th in the prestigious QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.

Student theatre may be a staple of undergraduate life today, but in Shakespeare’s time it was controversial and provocative, and may have inspired some of ‘The Bard’s’ most important pieces.

We are delighted to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras).

During National Storytelling Week, 30 January – 5 February, we have been hearing from three budding writers who are currently studying for an MA in Creative Writing in the Department of English Studies.

Simon J. James is Professor of Victorian Literature in the Department of English Studies. This festive season he discusses memory in Dickens’ work, and the importance of remembering past versions of ourselves at Christmas.

This Halloween, Dr Naomi Booth, Associate Professor in the Department of English Studies and award-winning fiction writer tells us about horror writing and the Boggart, a forgotten folklore monster.

Durham’s celebrated Book Festival returns this year for another weekend in October, celebrating new writing with particular relevance to the North East. Our Department of English Studies and Durham University are thrilled to be associated with the event once again, taking pride in the roots the city has in its literature and wider culture.