English | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

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Reading. Writing. Iowa.

Study at the Writing University in the heart of the nation's most celebrated literary town.

Why Iowa?

Immerse yourself in the world of literature, books, and creative writing–in a college and community obsessed with the written word.

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Build a foundation

If you love reading and writing, you belong at Iowa. Declare the English or English and Creative Writing major, and join a community dedicated to exploring–and creating–great literature.

Build a foundation

Develop your literary scholarship. Hone your creative writing. Delve into book studies. Harness the digital humanities. Prepare for success in the academy, public service, education, and the literary arts and professions.

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Learn from experts

Our faculty are creating the future of the English disciplines, inspired by our storied past. They advance scholarship and artistry in a welcoming academic community internationally recognized for literary excellence.

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See yourself here

Make Iowa City, the first UNESCO City of Literature in the United States, your new home, and join our community of nationally respected professors and award-winning writers.

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News and announcements

PhD candidate Adare Smith featured in two recent publications

Monday, February 9, 2026

Zara Chowdhary in Tomorrow Club

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

photo of the cover of The Poetry of Bob Dylan, edited by Mike Chasar

Anthology edited by Mike Chasar (PhD 07) featured in Iowa Magazine

Thursday, January 15, 2026

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Write Your Story

Join a top university in the country for writing with one of our English and English and Creative Writing programs, or our Nonfiction Writing Program, one of the oldest nonfiction programs in the nation.

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Sydney Mayes english and creative writing student

"Iowa City is the place to be– specifically the University of Iowa–if you want to be a writer and if you want to have access to incredible resources around writing. The reputation is insane."

- Sydney Mayes, English and Creative Writing major

Hear Sydney's "Why Iowa"

Upcoming events

Matthew Helm: “The Televisual Proscenium: Staging the Archive in Harvey Firestein’s Torch Song Trilogy”

Monday, February 16, 2026 1:00pm to 2:00pm

English-Philosophy Building

Please join us for a job talk by Dr. Matthew Helm on Harvey Fierstein’s play Torch Song Trilogy (1982) and what it tells us about a disavowed queer history embedded within the medium of television. This presentation is an excerpt from a work-in-progress book, Transmediations: Media Materialism in the Archives of Queer Literature.

Pedagogical Lunch (Historical Contexts)

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 12:00pm to 1:00pm

English-Philosophy Building

Only open to faculty, graduate students, and staff in English.

Come discuss core curriculum and learning outcomes for our historical contexts courses.

Views presents: Hai-Dang Phan Reading and Q&A

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 7:00pm to 8:00pm

English-Philosophy Building

Poet, translator, and essayist Hai-Dang Phan is the author of the poetry collection Reenactments (Sarabande, 2019) and the translator of Phan Nhiên Hạo’s selected volume of poems, Paper Bells (The Song Cave, 2020). Phan has taught at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and is currently an Associate Professor of English at Grinnell College.

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