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Course outline

The cutting-edge

The Programme’s team has expertise in a broad range of historical periods, from the Early Modern period to the present day, and the course places particular emphasis on understanding individual subjects within their historical, social and political context. We also encourage those looking to work on life writing or critical literary biography to join us, and to benefit from the experience of academics working across the faculties (including Dr Pete Orford who has published a biography of Charles Dickens, and Dr Peter Sloane who works on refugee life writing and memoir).

Course structure

For their first year of study students attend the same weekly seminars as students taking the MA by Research in Biography. These provide the critical awareness of the subject that is an essential prerequisite, and take place as follows:

Autobiography (September to December)

Special Paper in Biography (January to June)

Research Methods (January to June)

The modules on Biography and Autobiography are designed to combine the study of classic biographies and memoirs with contemporary writing. In addition, the Research Methods module provides an invaluable and innovative training, especially devised for biographers.

Guest seminars on the course are led by leading biographers, memoirists, critics, publishers and agents. Previous teachers and speakers on the course have included Andrew Motion, Kathryn Hughes, Frances Wilson, Frances Spalding, Jeremy Lewis, Rupert Shortt, Caroline Dawnay, Andrew Lownie, Miranda Seymour, John Cornwell, Simon Heffer, Catherine Taylor, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, and Craig Brown.

During the early part of the course, research students refine their research proposal with their supervisor, for eventual discussion with the Research Officer. Once the research proposal has been accepted, students concentrate on conducting independent research and the preparation of their thesis, with the one-to-one support of the supervisor and the support of their peers in small group classes once or twice a term.