Research and innovation
Harold Pinter: Histories and Legacies
Access an extensive database of the history of Pinter’s work in the UK.
Find out moreLeeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
Leeds to lead new survey of English dialects.
Discover our researchLand Lines: British Nature Writing
Researching British nature writing from the late 18th century to the present day.
Visit the Land Lines website- Research impact
- Pinter Histories & Legacies
- Leeds Archive of Vernacular Culture
- British Nature Writing
Our research
Our staff and research students form a diverse and welcoming community united by a passion for knowledge and innovation. We blend research and practice, and explore an enormous range of areas including many interdisciplinary endeavours.
The breadth of our expertise, combined with our external partnerships and collaborations, means that the work we do has a real impact both in the UK and worldwide.
Research groups
Environmental Humanities
The Environmental Humanities Research Group examines the relationships between human creativity, social life, and the nonhuman world.
More on Environmental HumanitiesLanguage, Discourse and Society
The Language Discourse and Society Research Group highlights the role of the English language in social processes and institutions, history, literary and cultural heritage and technology.
More on Language, Discourse and SocietyMedical Humanities
The Medical Humanities Research Group studies the interaction between culture, medicine and health.
More on Medical HumanitiesPostcolonial
The Postcolonial Research Group is an inclusive group of established and emerging scholars, whose work covers a wide range of topics relating to the globalised present and the colonial past.
More on PostcolonialPractice
The Practice research group brings together researchers and practitioners interested in creative practice of various kinds.
More on PracticeTextual Histories
The Textual Histories Research Group brings together scholars engaged in textual studies, textual editing, and the history of the book
Research centres
Centre for the Comparative History of Print
The Centre for the Comparative History of Print explores print across cultures and time periods and brings together researchers from a range of specialisms including English, History, Philosophy and History of Art.
More on Centre for the Comparative History of PrintLeeds Centre for Medical Humanities
An interdisciplinary collaboration between the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures and Faculty of Medicine and Health. The Centre aims to drive forward the rapidly developing subject area of Medical Humanities and acts as a point of focus both for academic research and knowledge transfer/impact activities.
More on Leeds Centre for Medical HumanitiesUniversity of Leeds Poetry Centre
Our Poetry Centre draws on the University's strength and heritage in creative writing, driving teaching and research in poetry. We are also committed to sharing talent and expertise in poetry through a programme of public readings, workshops, lectures, and exhibitions.
More on University of Leeds Poetry CentreOther School research activity
School of English research that runs alongside the groups and centres.
School of English Research Newsletter
The bi-annual research newsletter aims to share information about the School of English’s active research culture between our colleagues and students, and invites audiences across the Faculty, University and beyond to learn more about our rich intellectual community and to participate in a range of forthcoming events.
Wider research activity
Researchers from our School also engage in collaborative research with other subject areas and participate in interdisciplinary research initiatives such as:
Postdoctoral opportunities
The School of English supports applications for British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships, Leverhulme Early Career Fellowships, and other schemes as they are announced.
Impact and engagement
We work closely with publishers, museum and national and international organisations to ensure our research, across all specialisms, has a beneficial impact on society.
Research projects
Our research spans time periods, continents, genres, and disciplines, encompassing the enormous breadth of literature and literary culture.