Prepare the Perfect English Literature Personal Statement
Applying for English Literature at university? You need a good personal statement.
Studying English at university gives you the opportunity to explore great literature, as well as the chance to develop critical thinking and communication skills. What’s more, English graduates go on to have top careers in law, journalism, consulting, and academia. The best places to study English Literature include Oxford, Cambridge, and Durham - but, whatever university you want to get into, you need to start with a great UCAS personal statement.
You probably already love to read - you want to study English, after all - but it can be tricky to know what to read in order to prepare your personal statement. We’ve gathered the best things to read, listen to, and watch to make your personal statement stand out from the rest.
English Literature Personal Statement
What Makes a Good English Literature Personal Statement?
Of course, a great English Literature personal statement will feature a lot of books. That being said, strong personal statements don’t just recite a long list of classic literature - they engage with the texts. It’s far better to choose a handful of texts that you can analyse deeply, rather than write about every single thing you’ve ever read without saying what you think about them.
Make your opinions and thoughts clear. What other pieces of writing does this novel remind you of? Why do you think this poet used those techniques? How does this book link to historical context?
Your English Literature personal statement should also show range across period and genres. For instance, include a contemporary novel and a Victorian poem, or a Renaissance play alongside a film that came out in the 1990s. This will show that you’re able to adapt to a wide variety of texts and demonstrate your passion across the whole subject.
The Best Books for an English Literature Personal Statement
Finding the best books to read for an English personal statement can feel daunting - there are plenty of intimidating reading lists packed with Dickens and Shakespeare. Reading classic, pre-20th century literature is a great way to boost your personal statement - but it’s not the only way. In fact, it’s far better to pursue your own interests and develop a niche. Interested in science fiction? Great - find some literary sci-fi that is overlooked by elite reading lists. Want to read more diverse fiction than the classic canon? Fantastic - dig deep into history and discover writers like Fanny Burney and Elizabeth Jane Howard. Developing your own passions will make your personal statement stand out.
Read fiction that you enjoy - whether that’s novels or short stories. Go further than what you’ve read at school. You should have a balance of under-the-radar writers and established literary figures - the likes of George Eliot, Mary Shelley, and Oscar Wilde. If you’re interested in very old literature, try reading Geoffrey Chaucer or Thomas More. Familiarise yourself with literary movements as well as specific authors, too - interesting literary movements include Romanticism, Postmodernism, and Magical Realism.
Your personal statement should ideally include poetry alongside novels. Use anthologies like The Rattle Bag, edited by Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes, and She is Fierce, edited by Ana Sampson, to explore a huge range of poetry. Don’t just stick to poetry that you’ve studied at school! If you’re not a poetry fan, then think about music lyrics that you like - could these be considered as poetry?
Finally, supplement your reading with books about literature. This will show that you are thinking about literature, as well as consuming it. Terry Eagleton’s book Literary Theory is a great introduction to theory, as is Jonathan Culler’s Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Try to link what you learn from these books to literature that you’ve read. Literary biographies are also a great way to widen your knowledge. Claire Tomalin has written great biographies of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Hardy, to name a few. Read about literary movements, too. The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar is about feminism in literature, while George Saunders’ A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is an introduction to Russian short stories.
What to Watch for an English Personal Statement
Plays are literature too! What’s great about plays is that you can stream them. Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Tony Kushner are fantastic playwrights to start with - their work is engaging and accessible. There are hundreds of Shakespeare productions to be found on YouTube - focus on ones from the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre.
YouTube can also be a great way to learn more about literary theory. The School of Life, for instance, is a YouTube channel that discusses philosophy and writing. They have a whole playlist discussing writers including Virginia Woolf and George Orwell, and a ‘History of Ideas’ series which explores literary movements like Romanticism.
Listening to Radio and Podcasts Will Make Your UCAS Application Stand Out
Podcasts can feature a wide range of academic speakers, which can help broaden your knowledge of your subject. Radio Four’s In Our Time explores a different topic every episode, ranging from Wuthering Heights to Moby Dick. Each episode features academics from leading universities - you can find a back catalogue of episodes online. Oxford University’s “Great Writer’s Inspire” project features a huge array of lectures that you can stick on in the background - topics include Why Literature Matters and Key Critical Concepts.
In order to write a perfect personal statement, read as widely and as broadly as you can. Watch and listen to expert talks in order to start thinking like an academic, too. Once you’re ready to turn your preparation into a personal statement, check out our tips for writing a UCAS application that’s unique. Our expert team are on hand to help you get into your dream university - find out more here.
