Literature & Publishing (MA)

Founded in 1995, this long-established and perennially popular MA remains Ireland’s only postgraduate programme dedicated to literature and publishing. It is a distinctive offering that explores the interfaces between writing and the marketplace, between literature and transmission, and between the aesthetic and material aspects of texts. Over the course of this year-long programme, students deepen their existing knowledge of literary studies while also developing new competencies in areas such as marketing, the practical elements of editorial and production work, and the business aspects of contemporary publishing.

This MA places a strong emphasis on professionalisation. Students participate in workshops dedicated to topics like finding internships, writing cvs and cover letters, developing interview skills, and maintaining a personal digital brand; they may also be offered Adobe InDesign training. In addition, it is possible to gain valuable, hands-on publishing experience by becoming involved with ROPES, a literary journal developed, edited, marketed, and produced by this programme’s students on an annual basis. This extracurricular project provides students with practical, cv-enhancing experience in areas including editing and copyediting, decision-making, project management, design, production, marketing, sales, promotion, and teamwork.

Students in this programme benefit from contact with numerous guest speakers from publishing and related industries who share their experiences and perspectives. Visiting speakers in recent years have included individuals from Tramp Press, O’Brien Press, The Educational Company of Ireland, Coracle Press, Skein Press, Gill Books, and Cúirt International Festival of Literature, along with many other companies and organisations. The programme also facilitates visits to libraries, cultural institutions, publishing houses, printers, or other relevant businesses. Some students volunteer with book fairs and literary festivals, and some become interns with Irish publishers.

The MA in Literature and Publishing not only seeks to prepare students for the varied demands of the professional world, but also cultivates core academic skills in oral and written communication, textual analysis, critical thinking, and research. Students are encouraged to take an active approach to shape their course so that it complements their prior academic credentials and work experience and reflects their individual interests.

Subjects in this course are:-

• Optional DT6102: Irish Drama and Theatre from Wilde to O'Casey - 10 Credits - Semester 1
• Optional MG529: Introduction To Business - 10 Credits - Semester 1
• Optional EN547: Literature And Colonialism - 10 Credits - Semester 1
• Optional EN6127: Representations of the Book in Literature and Film - 5 Credits - Semester 1
• Optional EN6128: Publishing: Perspectives and Professionalisation - 10 Credits - Semester 1
• Optional MK314: Media & Marketing Communications - 5 Credits - Semester 1
• Optional EN6136: Thinking about Books/Thinking about Theatre - 10 Credits - Semester 1
• Required EN579: Contemporary Publishing - 10 Credits - Semester 1
• Required EN6133: Literature and Publishing Portfolio Project - 30 Credits - Semester 1
• Optional EN581: Copy-editing and Proofreading - 10 Credits - Semester 2
• Optional EN527: Literature Of North America - 10 Credits - Semester 2
• Optional EN6101: Books Journalism - 10 Credits - Semester 2
• Optional EN6125: WB Yeats and the Cultural Revolution - 10 Credits - Semester 2
• Optional MIC6100: Resisting through Culture: Conflicts in Europe and Beyond - 10 Credits - Semester 2
• Optional EN6131: The Odes of John Keats - 10 Credits - Semester 2
• Optional EN570: Book History - 10 Credits - Semester 2
• Optional EN6134: Studies in Literary History and Aesthetics - 10 Credits - Semester 2