Summer: Rutgers- Creative Writing
The Program
Get ready to feel inspired...
A 16 day intensive-writing program, designed to expose students to the history and literary inspiration of one of England’s most remarkable landscapes. Amble the countryside of southern England, stopping at local places of interest, including the homes of Virginia Woolf and Rudyard Kipling. Compile written works in a variety of genres into a final portfolio of poems, short fictions, and reflective essays.
Scholarships available through the English Department!
Program Location
United Kingdom
Lewes
Lewes is a quirkily historic market town near England’s south coast and an hour by train from London. Local attractions range from Lewes Castle, Bull House (once the home of Tom Paine), and The Round House (a former windmill owned by Virginia Woolf) to timber-framed bookshops and one of England’s oldest working breweries. The Greenwich meridian runs through the town—there’s even a pub named after it—but the great appeal of Lewes lies in its location; the town is wedged into a scenic gap in the South Downs and dozens of spectacular walks depart from its environs. Brighton, England’s liveliest seaside city, is less than a half hour away by train.
Academics
The program will be loosely based on Virginia Woolf’s daily schedule. Each morning will be dedicated to writing. After lunch students will walk (weather permitting) or visit local sites, before returning to base for quiet reading or group discussion of works in progress.
During the program students will also visit local areas of interest. These excursions will include Monk’s House, home of Virginia Woolf; Charleston Farmhouse, home of Vanessa Bell, Virginia’s sister, and a center of the Bloomsbury group. We will also attend a public reading with a celebrated author (to be determined) as part of the Charleston Literary Festival, a trip to the Globe Theatre in London to attend a workshop, tour and play, Ditchling Arts and Crafts Museum and Bateman's, home of Rudyard Kipling. The syllabus below will contain a provisional itinerary and dates for the program.
For an example of the work that students produce on the Creative Writing program please take a look at Juhi Farooqui's Walking Essay and her Final Essay.
For information about study abroad credit transfer, registration, and transcripts please visit the Academics section of our website.
Housing and Meals
Students will stay in shared rooms at the White Hart Hotel in Lewes. A full English breakfast is included each morning. Other meals will be taken at local restaurants.
Financial Information
Program Costs
| NJ Resident | non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | $4,030 | $4,320 |
| Graduate | $4,210 | $4,490 |
Program Cost includes:
• Tuition
• Housing
• Some meals
• Excursions
• Administrative Fees
• Emergency Medical Access Abroad
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $1,200 |
| Meals | $500 |
| Books and Classroom Materials | $50 |
| Personal Expenses | $300 |
| Total | $2,050.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket, while some of these expenses, such as meals, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Scholarships
People
Paul Blaney is an instructor in the English Department and Writer-in-Residence at the School of Arts and Sciences Honors Program. His publications include two novellas (Handover and The Anchoress) and the 2015 novel, Mister Spoonface.
Click here to read an original poem by Mr. Blaney related to the Creative Writing summer program!
"Two of my favorite moments of the trip were visiting Brighton and hiking the Seven Sisters. I had been most excited about visiting London, but I ended up loving Brighton a lot more. It was such a colorful and welcoming city. On our last weekend, we hiked the Seven Sisters at Seaford which are seven chalk cliffs overlooking the English Channel. The sun-bleached cliffs against the different blue hues of the sea and the greenery from the fields were the most beautiful sight I have ever seen."