English | College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

English student walking outside of EPB with backpack

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.

Expand your horizons

Instructor sitting in her office reviewing a paper with a student

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

English alumna has spent career amplifying citizens’ voices

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Beyond the page: CLAS English professor brings books to life for students

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Christopher Merrill named 2026 Paul Engle Prize winner

Friday, August 28, 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

Book Matters: Kathy Lavezzo and William Rhodes

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 7:00pm

Prairie Lights Books

Join Kathy Lavezzo, professor of English, and William Rhodes, associate professor of English, for an evening exploring the enduring influence of the medieval world through their newest books. After the reading, Sarah Bond, associate professor of history, will moderate a conversation exploring the books' shared in medievalism’s lasting influence on later history and culture. This event is free and open to the public.

Vcologies 2026

Friday, September 25 to Saturday, September 26, 2026 (all day)

English-Philosophy Building

Vcologies (Victorian Ecologies Today) is an interdisciplinary, international collective of scholars committed to the environmental humanities, the energy humanities, and other ecology-focused approaches.

Vcologies 2026

Friday, Sept. 25: Gerber Lounge (304 EPB)

9:00-10:30: Session One: Energy

Siobhan Carroll, “Equiano and the Fishes: Romantic Energy Systems and Slavery at Sea”

Devin Griffiths, “; Or, the Whale”

Michael Tondre, “Aesthetic Disfiguration: A Short History of Bitumen, Reynolds to Hunt” ...