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The Nobel Prize in Literature 1909 was awarded to Selma Ottilia Lovisa Lagerlöf "in appreciation of the lofty idealism, vivid imagination and spiritual perception that characterize her writings."

Selma Lagerlöf (1858-1940) was born in Östra Emterwik, Värmland, Sweden. She was brought up on Mårbacka, the family estate, which she did not leave until 1881, when she went to a teachers’ college at Stockholm. In 1885 she became a teacher at the girls’ secondary school in Landskrona. She had been writing poetry ever since she was a child, but she did not publish anything until 1890, when a Swedish weekly gave her the first prize in a literary competition and published excerpts from the book which was to be her first, best, and most popular work. Gösta Berlings Saga was published in 1891, but went unnoticed until its Danish translation received wide critical acclaim and paved the way for the book’s lasting success in Sweden and elsewhere. In 1895 financial support from the royal family and the Swedish Academy encouraged her to abandon teaching altogether. She travelled in Italy and wrote Antikrists mirakler (1897) [The Miracles of Antichrist], a novel set in Sicily. After several minor works she published Jerusalem (1901-1902) [The Holy City], a novel about Swedish peasants who emigrated to the Holy Land and whom she had visited in 1900. This work was her first immediate success.

 

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The board of Bengal, Rabindranath Tagore was the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize, one of the highest honours in the world. He won the prize in the Literature category in 1913 for his poetry collection “Gitanjali”.

Born in 1891 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Tagore was well known for his poetry, songs, stories, dramas, which included portrayals of people’s lives, philosophy and social issues.

Born in a wealthy family, Tagore was home-schooled, but went to England to study further. A few years later, he returned to India without a formal degree. While managing his family’s estates, he got a closer look at the impoverished rural Bengal. A friend of Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore participated in India’s struggle for independence. In fact, the national anthem that we sing today is one of the many stanzas of hymn composed by Tagore.

While he originally wrote in Bengali, Tagore reached out to a wider audience by translating his works into English. “Gitanjali” is a collection of more than 150 poems, which includes Tagore’s own translations of some of his Bengali poems. It was originally published in Bengali in 1910 and in English in 1912, with a preface by English poet W.B. Yeats. Some of Tagore’s acclaimed works include “Ghare Baire” (“The Home and the World”); “Sesher Kabita” (“Farewell My Friends”). “Kabuliwala”, “Gora”, “My Boyhood Days”, “Gitabitan, “and “The Post Office”.

Following the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919, Tagore returned his Knighthood for Services to Literature, which g=he was awarded in 1915.

Through his ideas of peace and spiritual harmony, the Nobel Laureate paved a new way of life based on his ideals of Brahmo Samaj. His contribution to education too is unparalleled. He founded the Visva Bharti University in Santiniketan, focusing on developing the child’s imagination and promoting stress-free learning.

Tagore passed away in 1941 at the age of 80.

 

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Although the year 2020 turned to be an unfortunate one in many ways, female authors around the world were able to find a silver lining. It marked the beginning of a movement to help them their voice. Yes, we are talking about the ‘Reclaim Her Name’ campaign.

For breaking into male-dominated genres or to escape gender bias, throughout history many women have published their books under male or gender-neutral pseudonyms. Much has changed since then, but these books continue to be published under their male pen names.

In a bid to rectify it, Women’s Prize for Friction, along with its sponsor Baileys, re-released the books of 25 female authors with their names for the first time. The book covers too were revamped and illustrated by women.

The series known as “The Reclaim Her Name’ marked the 25th anniversary of the Women’s Prize for Friction. It is aimed at initiating conversations regarding the reasons many female authors had to hide their real names.

One of the books that has been re-released is the classic “Middlemarch”. More than 149 years since its publication, many still do not know that George Eliot was actually the pen name of author Mary Ann Evans.

Born in 1819, Evans adopted a male pseudonym when George Henry Lewes – the English philosopher and critic – encouraged her to take up writing fiction. Evans believed that a male pen name would help her overcome gender bias.

Ironically, “Middlemarch” is a story about women stifled by a patriarchal society.

Some of the books:

• “Middlemarch” Mary Ann Evans (pseudonym George Eliot)


• “Marie of the Cabin Club” – Ann Petry (Arnold Petri)


• “Indiana” – Amantine Aurore Dupin (George Sand)


• “The Life of Martin R. Delany” – Frances Rollin Whipper (Frank A. Rollin)


• “Keynotes” Mary Bright (George Egerton)


• “Attila, My Attila!” – Edith Cooper and Katherine Bradley (Michael Field)


• “Painted Clay” – Doris Boake Kerr (Capel Boake)


• “For Our Country” – Fatemeh Soltan Khanum Farahami (Shahein Farahani)


• “Atla – Story of a lost Island” by Ann Smith (J Gregory Smith)


• “Twilight” – Julia Frankau (Frank Danby)


• “The Silence of Dean Maitland” – Mary Tuttiett (Maxwell Gray)


• “The Head of Medusa” – Julia Constance Fletcher (George Fleming)


• “Cecilia De Noel” – Mary Hawker (Lanoe Falconer)


• “Echoes from Mist-land” – Aubertine Woodward Moore (Auber Forestier)


• “Valerie Aylmer” – Frances Tierman (Christian Reid)


• “A Diplomat’s Diary” – Julia Cruger (Julien Gordon)


• “The Roadmender” – Margaret Fairless Barber (Michael Fairless)

 

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About Aphra Behn

Details on Aphra Behn’s personal life are scant, because she meant to leave it that way. She was born Aphra Johnson, possibly near Canterbury in 1640 AD. Not much is known of her parents –one story goes that her father was a barber and mother, a wet nurse, and another is that her father’s name was Cooper. Although it is sure there was a Johnson in her early life, it is uncertain if he was her biological or adopted father.

Aphra travelled with Johnson and his wife to the West Indies in 1663, where he passed away. Aphra and her mother lived in Surinam for several months, and this left a lasting impact on her. Her most famous work “Oroonoko” is about her time there and her friendship with a prince of the indigenous people.

When she returned to England in 1664, Aphra married Johan Behn, a merchant from writing name remained Mrs. Behn.

By 1666, Behn was attached to the court of King Charles II and was a spy in Antwerp. Her code name was Astrea, and it is said that the cost of living as a spy was shockingly high and that Charles II was a slow payer (if he paid at all). She returned to England under a lot of debt and petitioned the King’s Company and Duke’s Company. Her first play “The Forc’d Marriage” was shown in 1670. She eventually went on to become a successful comic writer.

A woman with few like-minded contemporaries, Aphra was a trailblazer at a time when women wrote as a hobby and their work was accompanied by a warning that it was written by a member of the ‘fair sex’. She was unapologetic and did not ask for acceptance, constantly working outside gender-based roles.

Aphra wrote 19 plays in all, becoming one of the most popular and saught-after dramatists in Britain. In her final years, her health began to fail due to poverty and increasing debt, although she wrote as ferociously as ever. Aphra died in 1689

Excerpt

This poem by Aphra talks about love’s power over humankind.

O Love! That stronger art than wine,

Pleasing delusion, witchery divine,

Won’t to be prized above all wealth,

Disease that has more joys than health;

Though we blaspheme thee in our pain,

And of thy tyranny complain,

We are all bettered by thy reign.

What reason never can bestow

We to this useful passion owe;

Love wakes the dull from sluggish ease,

And learns a clown the art to please,

Humbles the vain, kindles the cold,

Makes misers free, and cowards bold...

Did you know?

Virginia Woolf, in her iconic book “A Room of One’s Own”, mentions what women owe Aphra Behn. She says, “All women together poght to left flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.”

 

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Mah Laqa Bai of Hyderabad Deccan wore many hats during her lifetime. She was an archer and an expert javelin thrower, and accompanied the Nizam in wars dressed in male attire. Valued for her intellect, she was consulted in court about political affairs. She travelled with a parade of 500 soldiers when she met officials. As per her wish, after her death, her wealth, including jewellery and land, was donated to homeless women.

Born to Raj Kunwar and Bahadur Khan, Chanda Bibi (her birth name) was adopted by Raj Kunwar’s sister Mehtaab Mah, a courtesan. She grew up being exposed to literature and culture. By the time she was a teenager, she was an expert at horse riding and archery. A talented musician and poet, she also mastered Deccani kathak.

She was a courtesan in the Nazim’s court and held a position of respect and power. For her contributions as a warrior she was rewarded pieces of land from the Nizam from time to time. She was bestowed with the title ‘Mah Laqa Bai’ or ‘moon-faced madame’. During her time as  courtesan, she made considerable wealth, which she used to build libraries, sponsor artists and poets and also commission the Mahanama (history of the Deccan).

A staunch feminist, Mah Laqa also built a cultural centre where she educated and trained young girls. He had a walled compound built to hold mushairas (poetic symposiums) every week. It was here that she was buried after her death in 1824.

There were many courtesan during the Deccan Nizam period but none could parallel the strength and authority of Mah Laqa Bai. She was among the first women whose poems were published posthumously – the ‘Gulzar-e-Mahlaqa” is a collection of Urdu ghazals.

Mah Laqa Bai’s works were hard hitting and articulate here’s an example:

Who has the power to praise God, should a tongue try to speak

It’s as if this world were nothing but silent and weak

To tell Muhammad’s virtue, who needs a poet’s glittering gathering?

Keep the tongue from babbling, like a candle’s flowing wick.

Maha Laqa Bai gained ‘Omrah’ status I the Nizam’s court, which is rarely provided to women. As an Omrah, she could attend the Nizam’s durbar and advise him on state policies.

 

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Mirabai was a little late to the Bhakti movement but embraced it so fiercely and with si much devotion that her name and her poems continue to awe people even today. Mirabai, who had devoted herself to Lord Krishna from an early age, struggled for many years to be an ardent devotee to her favourite god. Her battle against society has eventual life as a wandering poet is an example of resilience and quiet strength.

Historical records don’t reveal much about the life of Mirabai (also Meera or Meerabai), the bhakti saint whose songs about Krishna continue to be sung today. Many of the stories we know of her now were pieced together from secondary literature and oral traditions.

Mirabai was born into n aristocratic Rajasthani family and it is said that her family were ardent devotees of Lord Krishna. Mirabai became one too, and her devotion was so deep that she considered herself married to her beloved god. When she was old enough, Mirabai was forcefully married to the crown prince of Mewar, and his family did not take too well to her devotion. It is also said that she refused to pray to their family goddess.

Five years into her marriage, her husband died at war. The story goes that Mirabai refused to jump into the funeral pyre of her husband, customary of Rajasthani women during her time.

In the end, Mirabai left her in-laws and became a wandering poet of the Bhakti movement. She left Mewar and travelled to places considered sacred – especially those associated with Krishna – such as Vraj (near Mathura) and Dwaraka. It is uncertain how and when she died.

Even though Mirabai was seen as a rebel and a revolutionary of her time, scholars often point out that it did not reflect in her work, because in her poems, she was always a dutiful wife to Krishna.

A legend surrounding Mirabai’s life is that Emperor Akbar heard of her and visited her in disguise. It is believed he even presented her a necklace. But the historical accuracy of this incident has been heavily contested because of the time periods they lived in.

Mirabai’s poems were often emotional and intense, especially when she wrote about being separated from Krishna.

Sanchi Honnamma has the distinction of being one of the earliest women writers to emerge from a humble background at a time when established poets and noblemen were the only ones with accomplished written works to their name. Legend has it that Sanchi worked for the palace of King Chikadevaraya as a helper, and particularly specialised in rolling betel nuts in leaves for the royal family. Court poet Singaracharya spotted her love for words and taught her to read, write and create poetry. He is even said to have called her Sarasahityada Varadevata or ‘goddess of poetry’.

Honnamma was also a favourite of the queen Devajammanni, and grew to be well respected in the Mysore court. She wrote about the lives of common women and often about the pain they went through in life. She was a seemingly traditional thinker and upheld the values of her time. She was also very loyal to the kingdom.

“Haddibadeya Dharma” spoke on the virtues of women. And while this was a traditional form of literature and Honnamma by no means spoke up strongly for women’s rights, her position in history itself is an achievement, given her background.

Nothing else is known about Honnamma’s personal life.

Excerpt

“Garathiya Haadu” (Song of a Married Woman)

…Wasn’t it woman who raised them,

Then why do they always blame woman,

These boors…

In the womb they’re the same,

When they’re growing they’re the same,

Later the girl will take, with love, what’s given,

The boy will take his share by force.

In “Hadibadeya Dharna”, Honnamma is caught between her feelings and the values of her time. There is some veiled feminist angst but nothing is ever outspoken. Honnamma does make some remarkable points such as identifying that there is gender bias and that it isn’t a loss if a daughter is born to a family.

 

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The first-known female Chinese historian was born into an illustrious family of writers and philosophers. Ban Zhao was the daughter of Ban Biao, who began working on the history of the Han Dynasty and after his death, his son (and Zhao’s brother) Ban Gu was put on the task of completing this. Ban Gu, who was then the official historian of the empire, was executed for palace fraud in 95 AD. Five years later, the responsibility of finishing this work fell on Ban Zhao, making her immortal in the pages of history.

About Ban Zhao

Ban Zhao born in Anling, Saanxi province of China. She married young – at the age of 14, but lost her husband in a few years. She never remarried and instead, devoted her life to pursuing academics and scholarship.

When Ban Gu was executed, and the dynastic history of the Han empire, Hanshu, was left incomplete, it was up to Ban Zhao to fill in her brother’s shoes and finish that monumental task. She added in the missing bits of Babiao (Eight Tables) and the genealogy of the mother of the emperor, which was not information usually recorded in that time period. Due to this, she became extremely popular in China.

Also, due to her reputation as a scholar and historian, Ban Zhao was invited to teach Empress Deng Sui and other court members, which only made her more politically influential. The empress and her consorts gave her the title “The Gifted One” and soon, she became the Empress’s lady-in-waiting. The empress also continually sought her advice on matters pertaining to her son, Emperor Shang of Han.

Apart from these duties, Ban Zhao was also the royal librarian and is said to have overseen the copying of manuscripts in bamboo and silk onto a recent invention – paper.

Ban Zhao was also a poet and wrote many poems during her time, and also “Lessons for Women”, a treatise that looked into the education of women in the empire. Although the document spoke about a code of conduct for women and quickly became popular all over China, it focused more on how women needed education.

Excerpt

In her book “Nu Jie” (Lessons for Women), Ban Zhao writes about the quality of humility and why it is important for women to embrace it.

On the third day after the birth of a girl the ancients observed three customs: first to place the baby below the bed; second to give her a potsherd [a piece of broken pottery] with which to play; and third to announce her birth to her ancestors by an offering. Now to lay the baby below the bed… should regard it as her primary duty to humble herself before others. To give her potsherds with which to play indubitably signified that she should practise labour and consider it her primary duty to be industrious. To announce her birth before her ancestors clearly meant that she ought to esteem as her primary duty the continuation of the observance of worship in the home.

Some have argued that Ban Zhao’s work could be seen as among the earliest works of feminism. Though “Lessons for Women” may not seem so, scholars point to the fact that Ban Zhao was not only extremely intelligent but also highly influential. She’s believed to have written this work as a guide for women to survive and subtly negotiate the complex demands of society back then, and she did not remarry despite a short marriage, and perhaps couples this freedom with her intelligence to become influential.

Ban Zhao’s grandmother was Ban Jiyeu who lived during the Western Han Dynasty and was a poet and scholar. Jiyeu is the title given to a third-rank palace lady, and her personal name remains unknown. She is best-known for her poem ‘Yuan Ge Xing” or “Song of Resentment”, where she compares herself to an autumn fan that is ignored. It is written in yuefu style – poems composed like folk songs.

 

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I have just finished my Std. XII board exams. I would like to pursue B.A. degree in English. Is literature or functional English better?

A course in English literature is designed for academic study of English as well as language skills at the workplace. It trains students to pursue higher studies in English literature and language.

The main focus of Functional English is on how English is used in real-life situations. Its curriculum is designed for perfection in reading, writing, listening and speaking. The emphasis is on building vocabulary and enhancing reading abilities. The course includes intensive drilling in listening and producing English sounds, English stress pattern, intonation.

Both courses are offered at the undergraduate level. The duration of the course is three years. Go for B.A. in Literature if you want to go for higher studies in English.

 

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Muddupalani was a skilled courtesan (devadasi) in the court of Pratapasimha, a Maratha ruler who was a celebrated patron of arts. Under his tutelage, Muddupalani’s many talents as a dancer and poet flourished and not only did she create “Radhika Santawanam”, an epic balled of 584 poems, but also others – such as her experiments with saptapadalu or seven-lined songs; her translation of Andal’s “Thiruppavai”; and “Ashtapad”, a Telugu translation of Sanskrit poet Jayadeva’s eponymous work.

Not much is known about Muddupalani’s personal life expect that she came from a family of respected devadasis. Her grandmother Tanjanayaki was a gifted musician and well-known in the Thanjavur circles while her mother Rama Vadhuti was another talented courtesan. Muddupalani was named after the god Palani and her surname Muddu was placed in front of her name, which was a common practice in the South at that time.

A self-aware writer, Muddupalani often spoke highly of herself at the beginning of her work, talking about her illustrious lineage and her life. Her works were celebrated during her time and became a part of classical Telugu literature.

Another devadasi, Nagarathamma, 200 years later, found Muddupalani as a reference in literature on Thanjavur. It took a while for her to find an original copy of “Radhika Santawanam” and she prepared a new version published by a small press. It was banned by the British colonial authorities in 1911, and the ban was rescinded in 1947.

Muddupalani introduces herself in a rich fashion in “Radhika Santawanam”, offering glimpses into her life that is otherwise unknown.

Which other woman of my kind has

Felicitated scholars with gifts and money?

To which other woman of my kind have

Epics been dedicated?

Which other woman of my kind has

Won such acclaim in each of the arts?

You are incomparable,

Muddupalani, among your kind

A face that glows like the full moon,

Skills of conservation, matching the countenance.

Eyes filled with compassion,

Matching the speech.

A great spirit of generosity,

Matching the glance.

These are the ornaments

That adorn Palani,

When she is praised by kings.

During the Thanjavur Maratha reign, courtesans such as Muddupalani had access to learning, writing and the arts, unlike family women. They owned property, their work was held in high esteem and they enjoyed equality with men.

 

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Born in England to Thomas Dudley, a soldier of the British Empire, Anne had a comfortable upbringing. She benefited from  the Elizabethan tradition of educating girls, and was tutored in literature and history in Greek, Latin, Hebrew and English.

She was married at the age of 16 to Simon Bradstreet, and shortly after, in 1630, Thomas, Simon and Anne set sail for America. The journey took three months and the ship was part of a fleet of 11 carrying around 1,000 Puritans to America. The ship docked at Salem, Massachusetts, and the squalor and poverty there was a shock to Anne, who grew up in an estate and spent much of her time in libraries, reading books. The family moved constantly to newer places where Simon could wield more political power. Anne had eight children in 10 years.

Not much is known about her personal life beyond this, except her poetry and personal musings. She wrote epitaphs for her father and mother, and her poems often spoke of her husband and how much she missed him when he was out doing his duties as a powerful Puritan.

Her poetry was taken back to London by her brother-in-law, and these were published as The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung up in America. These were the only works published during her lifetime. Others, more personal and original with her unique style, were published after her time. Anne died at the age of 60.

Anne’s constant struggle between her love of the world and desire for eternal life was expressed her poem “contemplations”:

Then higher on the glistering Sun I gaz’d

Whose beams was shaded by the leafy Tree.

The more I look’d, the more I grew amaz’d

And softly said, what glory’s like to thee?

Soul of this world, this Universe’s Eye,

No wonder some made thee a Deity:

Had I not better known (alas) the same had I.

Anne’s life has always been linked to the lives of her husband and father, who were prominent figures and even aided in founding the Harvard University. Though she appreciated their love and protection, she wrote, “any women who sought to use her wit, charm, or intelligence in the community at large found herself ridiculed, banished, or executed by the Colony’s powerful group of male leaders”.

 

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Murasaki Shikibu is the descriptive name of a Japanese writer who was famous for her work “The Tale of Genji”. Murasaki was the name of the female lead in the book and ‘Shikibu’ or Ministry of Ceremonials, comes from where her father worked. Murasaki came from a branch of a powerful Fujiwara family, whose males occupied most of the highest positions in the imperial government. She was born between 970 and 973 AD and had two siblings. She was a bright learner and her father allowed her to learn Chinese along with her brother.

It is unsure when Murasaki began to write. She was married to a second cousin much older than her and had a daughter in 999 AD. Her husband died shortly after, probably due to the plague that devastated Kyoto in 1000 AD. Murasaki seems to have begun writing “The Tale of Genji” shortly after this. In 1006 AD, she began serving Empress Shoshi as the lady-in-waiting. She remained in imperial service for another seven years, after which she is said to have retired and spent the rest of her life in seclusion. All through this time, Murasaki continued to write.

Apart from book that made her popular, Murasaki also wrote poetry and kept a diary that chronicles her life in court. In long passages, she mentions how she learnt Chinese listening to her father teach her brother, and how, later, she taught the empress Chinese. A lot of her everyday musings on court life also makes its way into “The Tale of Genji”. She seemed to have had a dislike for the frivolity of court life.

Murasaki often used a style of poetry called waka. This style, which preceded haiku and other popular Japanese forms, had five sets with a set number of sounds or syllabuses. The pattern was usually 5,7,5,7,7. Haiku retains the first three lines of the Waka form.

Write to me as often as their wings inscribe the clouds, the brushing wings of the wild geese heading north, never stop writing.

Aristocratic Heian women lived secluded lives and were allowed to speak to men only if they were relatives. Murasaki’s autobiographical poetry shows that she often socialized with women but had very little contact with men other than her father and brother, she even exchanged poetry with women but never with men.

 

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Gul-Badan Begum was born in 1523 to Emperor Babur, who was the first Mughal ruler of India. She lived most of her life in Kabul, Afghanistan, having lost her father when she was eight. She was brought up by her brother Humayun. When she was 17, Gul-Badan was married to her cousin Khizr Khwaja Khan, a Chagatai noble.

When she was invited by her nephew Emperor Akbar to live in Agra with his family, she obliged and grew to be loved and respected in India. Her storytelling prowess was well-known, and so her nephew approached her to write what she remembered of her brother Humayun. The book was completed after Humayun’s death in 1556.

“Humayun Nama” is the story of the three kings that dominated Gul-Badan’s life - emperors Babur, Humayun and Akbar. It offers an intimate look into their households and lives, making it a much more detailed account of Mughal history than many others.

Gul-Badan also wrote about the nomadic nature of the Mughal women of that time. The book has a rare account of the women’s pilgrimage to Mecca and their lives from the sidelines. She was also a fluent Turkish and Persian poet but none of her poems has survived.

She passed away when she was 80 and Emperor Akbar is said to have constantly lamented about how much he missed his favourite aunt until his death in 1605.

When she was asked by Akbar to write the manuscript, Gul-Badan Begum began: There had been an order issued, ‘Write down whatever you know of the doings of Firdous-makani (Babur) and Jannat-ashyani (Humayun)’. At that time when his Majesty Firdaus-Makani passed from this perishable world to the everlasting home, I, this lovely one, was eight years old, so it may well be that I do not remember much. However, in obedience to the royal command, I set down whatever there is that I have heard and remember.

In her book, Gul-Badan Begum describes her pilgrimage to Mecca – a distance of 3000 miles – along with Hamida Banu Begum, Humayun’s wife. The women were hardy and faced many hardships. Gul-Badan stayed in Mecca for four years and on her way back to Agra, was delayed by a shipwreck. Eventually, she reached Agra seven years after she left on her journey.

 

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I am a student of Class X. I am interested in writing and I’m quite good at it. Moreover, I love English. So I am planning to take English Literature after 12th followed by a course in creative writing. Can you tell me if there is any college in India that offers this course (even abroad)? Kindly mention the jobs that I can opt for by taking those courses.

An essential requirement to become a creative writer is passion for writing and love to communicate with words. This field requires a lot of imagination, observation and an inborn ability to create pictures of the natural world.

There are many institutes all over India which offer courses n creative writing. But most of these are diploma courses with duration of 1-3 years. Eligibility for these courses is graduation.

Some such institutes are: Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and communication, New Delhi; Amity Institute of English and Business Communication, Noida; Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media, Bangalore; Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi; The British Council located in all metro cities in India; Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi; Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi offers a post-graduate diploma in Creative Writing through its distance learning programme.

You can work as a content writer in any of the KPO firms or get involved in writing stories, articles, books and scripts that are highly demanded by editors and publishers. Even a career as a freelance writer may provide you with a good income.

 

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Literature is a vast and engaging field. But the career path after college is somewhat undefined, largely because there’s so much you can do with a degree in literature.

Many of the skills, obtained through the study of English, are highly prized in every job or profession. These are: being able to write well; to convey meaning precisely; to argue and debate; to read pages of prose and pick out the essential points; to persuade others of your point of view; to think and act creatively.

Media can be a good fit for an English literature graduate, as they offer a good way to apply your knowledge of the written language. These skills will also serve you well in advertising and marketing. Teaching in another option; from primary education right up to college, the English subject is considered important at all stages.

Publishing is an area that is coming up fast, and those with a literary bent of mind should definitely consider it. You’ll probably start off as a proof-reader, but who knows, you may be editing a best-selling novel in the years to come!

Creative writing and even technical writing is yet another option. A career in technical writing does not require a scientific or engineering background, but it does require an excellent command of the English language and the ability to write logically, clearly and accurately.

Translation is yet another area, especially if you’re familiar with another language besides English. Due to their improved skills, even advertising and PR agencies find literature graduates suitable for their work.

 

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