Lecturer (Contemporary Literature and Creative Writing)

The Department of English seeks to appoint a Lecturer in Contemporary Literature and Creative Writing. The post is suitable for candidates whose research focus is either critical or creative, but we are seeking candidates with experience of teaching both creative writing and literature course units. The ideal candidate for this post will be a creative writer or critical scholar who has experience of teaching a range of topics in this area at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. They will be a researcher in an area which helps us to develop current and emergent strengths and will be able to evidence their capacity to produce creative or critical research outputs which meet the quality threshold for REF submission.

The Department of English, delivering a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and short courses, is staffed by one of the strongest and most diverse new-university research groups in the UK. MMU English came joint 30th (8th for Research Impact) out of 89 subject groups in REF2014, external and internal surveys consistently evidence the strength of both teaching and student support in the department and UG and PG recruitment has remained consistently strong to date. Manchester Met is a founding partner in the organisation which coordinates Manchester’s UNESCO City of Literature’s network and projects and in 2021 we will open the UK’s fourth dedicated Poetry Library.

The Department fosters a rich and diverse research culture in both critical Film and Literature scholarship and creative writing. It hosts undergraduate single honours programmes in English, Film and Media Studies and Creative Writing, and joint honours programmes combining specialisms both within and beyond the Department. Our MA programmes in English Studies, Creative Writing and Publishing have expanded significantly in recent years and have a current population of more than 200 students. There is a thriving collaborative and interdisciplinary research culture at MMU, both within and beyond the faculty of Arts and Humanities, which is also home to the Manchester Schools of Art and Theatre, and which will open its new School of Digital Arts (SODA) in 2021.

All candidates will be expected to have a doctoral level qualification in a relevant area or an established professional reputation as a writer, as evidenced in national broadcast media appearances, national broadsheet and literary press reviews, or major literary prize success. They will be expected to have a track record of publishing high quality critical or creative research outputs which meet the quality threshold for submission to the Research Excellence Framework. This opportunity will be offered on a fixed-term, two-year, full-time basis. The anticipated start date for the successful applicant is September 2021. For an informal discussion regarding the requirements of the role please contact, Professor Jess Edwards, Head of the Department of English J.Edwards@mmu.ac.uk. If you would like to join our department and share our ambition, we would love to hear from you.

Manchester Metropolitan University is committed to supporting the rights, responsibilities, dignity, health and wellbeing of staff and students through our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

We promote applications from all sections of the community, irrespective of background, belief or identity, recognising the benefits that a diverse organisation can bring and particularly encourage applications from groups which are underrepresented in the University workforce.

We recognise the benefits and importance of an environment that supports flexible working and are open to conversations about this, as well as any reasonable adjustments required throughout the application process.