Welcome to the Department of English

English at The University of Auckland means being alert to the most significant things happening in literature and related arts right now, to understanding the patterns of literary culture in the past and knowing how the two connect. Through the study of the richest and most engaging texts, English gives you a deep and lively understanding of the world in which you will take up your career.

English develops creative and imaginative flair while honing skills in reading, writing and thinking. As a discipline, it is renowned for developing flexible, critical minds adept at lateral and connective thought. English is often considered a meta-discipline, one that is able to provide an understanding of and to develop the ability to deal creatively and analytically with texts from other fields or enterprises. It offers mastery of the signs by which we communicate and through which social and cultural patterns are formed.

For all these reasons, the Department of English attracts enrolments from all faculties, particularly from those students working in the humanities, or those enrolled for conjoint degrees in Law, Science and Commerce.

English teaches its skills and strategies through the exploration of a wide variety of fascinating texts including prose fiction, plays and poetry, film, comics and music. Creative literature offers language use at its most intense, and creative texts remain a primary means whereby we gain access and insight into diverse heritages that range globally from Europe to the Pacific to New Zealand/Aotearoa itself.

The Department’s teaching includes literature in English, both historical and contemporary, poetics, literary and cultural theory, studies in theatre and drama, cultural studies, settlement studies, and the English component of the Diploma of Teaching (Secondary).

The department’s commitment to creativity as well as scholarship is demonstrated by its long-standing practice of having practising writers amongst its staff, and by hosting within the department the current holder of The University of Auckland Residency at the Michael King Writers' Centre.

(Photo credits for link buttons: English and Creative Writing courtesy of Tim Page, Drama courtesy of Joanna Forsberg.)
 

English
Email		english@auckland.ac.nz
Extension		85914 (ph + 64 9 373 7599)
Fax		+64 9 373 7429
Location		Arts 1 Building 14a Symonds St Level 4
Heads of Department Bishop,    Tom  Professor    85586  Professor, Head of English Department      Undergraduate Advisers Amsler,    Mark  Dr    82863  Undergraduate Adviser Writing Studies  Diggelmann,    Lindsay  Dr    87099  Undergraduate Adviser MEDEMS  Edmond,    Murray  Associate Professor    87333  Undergraduate Adviser Drama  Marquis,    Claudia  Dr    87592  Undergraduate Adviser English      Postgraduate Advisers Cronin,    Jan  Dr    87072  Graduate Adviser English  Diggelmann,    Lindsay  Dr    87099  Postgraduate Adviser MEDEMS  Edmond,    Murray  Associate Professor    87333  Postgraduate Adviser Drama (including PhD Advising)  Lovell-Smith,    Rose  Dr    82870  PhD Adviser  Samuels,    Lisa  Associate Professor    87092  MCW Adviser