Avenue

Chapter 30

By Áine Allardyce

A bold experiment that started with just two students in 1995 has in three decades evolved into one of the UK’s most prestigious creative writing programmes. 

The University’s Creative Writing Masters is marking its 30th anniversary this year, with 121 students now enrolled across its postgraduate programmes and many of its alumni leaving their mark as leading voices in contemporary literature. 

The course was the brainchild of the late Professor Philip Hobsbaum, who persuaded UofG to support it. Professpr Hobsbaum predicted Glasgow would produce major literary figures and he has been proven right. Alumni now include Anne Donovan, Rodge Glass, Jen Hadfield, Zoe Strachan, Luke Brown, Rachel Seiffert and William Letford.  

From 1998 to 2002, it was taught jointly with the University of Strathclyde, with respected tutors including Professors Willy Maley, Margaret Elphinstone, Zoe Wicomb, Rob Maslen and Adam Piette, as well as Dilys Rose. 

Beyond nurturing writers, Creative Writing at Glasgow has built a global community extending far beyond the gates of Gilmorehill. Initiatives such as the high-profile Creative Conversations series (click on video at the end of this story) have hosted past speakers including such literary heavyweights as Margaret Atwood, Alasdair Gray, Liz Lochhead, Ian Rankin and Denise Mina. The Kavya Prize, which recognises writers of colour, and The North Literary Agency Prize – which offers students a cash award and agent representation – have been created in partnership with the Creative Writing programme and have had transformative impacts.  

Lecturer and poet Dr Colin Herd: “We are very lucky at Glasgow to receive over 300 applications a year. I think this is not just because of the teaching being undertaken here but the wider initiatives we support like Creative Conversations, which contribute to the feeling of Glasgow as a place to come and be a writer.” 

A community of literary excellence 
Professor of Creative Writing Louise Welsh is also an alumna and author: “We are proud to have built a community that supports and develops new voices. We’re also proud of our contribution to Scotland’s literary scene – ensuring it reflects the diversity of our multicultural world.” 

Dr Carolyn Jess-Cooke, gothic fiction novelist and Reader in Creative Writing, explained that the programme’s democratic spirit and genre-spanning approach are key to its distinctiveness, adding that its uniqueness also stems from its teaching staff, all active writers across diverse genres. 

We do not close off anything to anyone and we want our students to experience and write across genres." – Carolyn Jess-Cooke 

Inclusivity also extends to admissions, where students are selected mainly on portfolio strength and work that ‘intrigues or surprises’.  

Learn wherever in the world you are 
The programme has also gone global, with international students joining the MLitt Creative Writing by Distance Learning and a thriving teaching exchange with Melbourne’s Deakin University. Along with the Creative Writing Research Master of Fine Arts and Doctor of Fine Arts, these reflect Glasgow’s commitment to diversification and specialisation. 

Plans for the 30th anniversary celebration in November include a student-led creative anthology and a two-day literary festival – both in-person and online – showcasing how tradition and innovation harmoniously co-exist in Glasgow. The celebration has been made possible thanks to the Chancellor's Fund, which supports diverse projects making an impact all round the University.

Thirty years on, Creative Writing at Glasgow continues to flourish as a global community, embracing and celebrating the variety and diversity of writers and their work. 

NEW VOICES  

“The programme has demystified the practicalities of writing in the real world and brought me closer to who I am as a writer. It is a safe space where I’ve been nurtured, inspired and challenged. I’ll always be grateful for my time here, and for the teaching staff who are brilliant, supportive, and genuinely invested in their students’ development. “
– Linda Fernandes, writer and artist from Mumbai (MLitt in Creative Writing)

“The Creative Writing programme at the University of Glasgow has been my well of endless possibilities – from refining my craft to inspiring new writings and publications and bringing to life the Afro-Scottish Poetry Event, a dream now made real.”
– Chisom Okoronkwo, poet, spoken word artist, and digital content creator (MLitt in Creative Writing)

Photo: Tiu Makkonen
“The creative writing MLitt at UofG has changed my life in so many ways. I have seen such a change for the better in my writing – I’m a more adventurous writer now after the course’s mixture of classes and lectures. I feel so grateful to the University for providing such a wonderful and creative space to express myself.” – Ross Wilcock, poet, spoken word artist, writer and event host (MLitt in Creative Writing)

Photo: James Melia Studio
"I came to the programme at a crossroads in my writing career. As an author of three culinary non-fiction books, I wanted to explore narrative writing further but felt stuck. Doing my MLitt opened up new worlds for creativity, experimentation, and confidence. The nurturing support of the staff helped me lean into my talent. This led me to pursue the Doctor of Fine Arts and work on a novel exploring themes I was born to write about. None of this would have been possible without the University of Glasgow Creative Writing programme.” – Sumayya Usmani, author and Doctor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Creative Conversations film 

Creative Conversations (above) has become a much-loved event and has invited high-profile speakers such as Margaret Atwood, Ian Rankin and Bernardine Evaristo.

This article was first published in October 2025.

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