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Keep up to date with all the latest news from the School of English.
AI fingers touch

Beyond the algorithm: Shaping AI for people, not just progress

Explore the impact of artificial intelligence on society — from reimagining creativity to transforming law and challenging ethical frameworks, this campaign reveals both the promise and the peril of AI.
Watercolour Illustration of Sylvia Plath and a fig tree

Elisha Wise: Sylvia Plath’s ‘fig tree analogy’ from The Bell Jar is being misappropriated

Sylvia Plath’s iconic “fig tree” metaphor from The Bell Jar—often used as a feel‑good meme—masks Esther’s real anguish, argues School of English PhD student Elisha Wise.
Playwright Lucy Prebble gives a speech whilst receiving her Honorary Doctor of Letters at the University of Sheffield.

School of English Alumnia Lucy Prebble awarded honorary degree

School of English alumna Lucy Prebble has been awarded an honorary degree in recognition of her acclaimed work for stage and screen, including as a writer and executive producer on HBO’s Succession.
Firth Court with Arts Tower in the background

University of Sheffield ranked within top 100 universities in QS World University Rankings

The University of Sheffield has been ranked within the top 100 universities in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2026, reaffirming its place as a leading global university for teaching and research excellence.
A photo of Elena Barham

First-year English Literature student wins BBC Young Writers' Award 2022

Elena Barham, a first-year student in the School of English, won with her 1940s-set story Little Acorns, written when she was just 16 years old.

| BBC Radio 1
A promotional poster for a CPP event.

Centre for Poetry and Poetics, Autumn 2022 Series Presents: Emma Bolland, Rachel Genn and Mendoza

The Centre for Poetry and Poetics is hosting Emma Bolland, Rachel Genn and Mendoza, aka Linus Slug: Insect Librarian, in-person at the university on October 13th 2022.
An image of the poster for Candyman and the Whole Damn Swarm

Candyman and the Whole Damn Swarm - A 30th Anniversary Conference

This conference is a collaboration between the Centre for the History of the Gothic at the University of Sheffield and the University of California, Riverside, taking place Friday 7th October – Sunday 9th October 2022.
Ash tree outside Firth Court

University of Sheffield hosting ICEHL-22

The 22nd edition of the International Conference on English Historical Linguistics will take place in July 2023 in Sheffield.
A photo of Harry Styles

The big twang theory: why British celebrity accents change

Professor Emma Moore discusses how and why celebrities' accents sometimes change.

| The Face