Master of Arts - MA in Writing for Young People Bath Spa University

We offer places on the basis of our assessment of your quality, potential and commitment as a writer and your ability to benefit from the course. This is not a beginner’s course, so we will be looking for evidence of originality in your writing for young people, and a sense of audience. This specialist creative writing MA is designed for writers for children, teenagers and young adults who aim to complete a novel, series of picture books or shorter stories for young children. Taught by published writers for children and young people and by publishing professionals, this practical course will help you refine your craft while learning about the interaction of creative and business considerations in the modern publishing industry. "I recommend Bath Spa because it is a community that fosters, challenges, and grows writers into authors – and in one of the most beautiful places in the world." The MA in Writing for Young People is well known throughout children’s and young adult publishing for developing emerging writers' work to publishable quality. Our alumni include Sally Nicholls, Elen Caldecott, CJ Skuse, Emma Carroll, Jasbinder Bilan, Damaris Young, Sophie Kirtley, Kate Mallinder, Yasmin Rahman and David Hofmeyr. Writing workshops lie at the heart of the course, helping you to gain wide-ranging insights into your writing strengths and weaknesses and to experiment through your writing in a supportive but disciplined environment. A critical aspect of the course is the chance to meet other aspiring writers, to learn from them and to develop the creative networks that will support you in the next stage of your writing career. Workshop modules lead onto the production of a full manuscript – or substantial proportion of one – with a clear understanding of how to complete the book.

Bath Spa University, located in the historic city of Bath, England, is a modern institution with a rich heritage dating back to the 19th century. Established in its current form in 2005, it evolved from several educational institutions, including Bath College of Domestic Science, Bath Teacher Training College, and Bath Academy of Art. The university is known for its strong emphasis on creativity, culture, and enterprise, offering a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

The main campus, Newton Park, is situated just outside the city of Bath and is set in a picturesque 18th-century landscape designed by the renowned landscape architect Capability Brown. The campus features a mix of historic buildings and state-of-the-art facilities, including modern classrooms, laboratories, studios, and a well-equipped library. The university also has other sites, such as the Sion Hill campus, which houses the Bath School of Art and Design.