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Why do stories matter?

This is a English literature and creative writing Subject Spotlight with Dr Amy Louise Morgan from the University of Surrey. An interactive, cinematic course taster experience to allow students to gain insights into what it's like to study English literature and creative writing.

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Join Dr Amy Louise Morgan from the University of Surrey as she considers why stories still matter and how choosing to study an English degree is as relevant as ever. She takes an in-depth look at understanding the motives behind storytelling and how they impact us, both as people and within the societies we live in. She discusses the building blocks to becoming a writer, the challenges and possible career paths, before introducing a classic medieval text, Sir Orfeo, with instructions for you to undertake a literary close reading.

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About University of Surrey

The University of Surrey is a global community of more than 16,000 students from 140 countries. Based on a lovely, leafy campus in buzzy Guildford, The University of Surrey boasts gorgeous countryside to the south and west, and London half an hour to the east. It’s the perfect setting for a challenging and rewarding university experience that creates incredible memories and helps you achieve your ambitions. With a focus on practice-based learning, supported by outstanding teaching, laboratory and simulation facilities in every faculty, Surrey is ranked first in the UK for work placements and graduate employability.

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Meet the academics

Dr Amy Louise Morgan

Dr Amy Louise Morgan began working as a Lecturer in Medieval Literature at the University of Surrey in October 2017, after completing her PhD at the University of Surrey earlier that year. Amy's doctoral studentship, awarded by the University of Surrey, supported her research on queer time and space in medieval romance and the lays. In this study she analysed Bisclavret, Lanval, Sir Orfeo, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Wife of Bath's Prologue and Tale. Amy specialises in medieval literature, queer theory, and gender theory with a particular focus on queer time, space, and identity. Her publications include an article on queerness in Sir Orfeo; an article on Marie de France, alienation and Lanval; and a book chapter on orchards as queer loci in Lanval and Sir Orfeo. She is currently writing a monograph on queer time and space in medieval romance. In addition, Amy is working on two new projects. The first examines female space as queer space in Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur. The second focuses on gender, time, and space in Disney's medievalism.

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Content to enhance students university applications

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What is a Subject Spotlight?

Subject Spotlights fuse education and entertainment to bring you the new way of researching your university options.

Entirely free and available on-demand, you can choose to engage with the content in the way that best suits you - whether that's in bite-sized chunks or in binge-sessions!

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Stand out from the competition by completing a Subject Spotlight to gain the most relevant references and evidence for your personal statement.

Who is this Spotlight for?

This subject spotlight is made for students aged 16 and above, that are considering applying to University, particularly to study the subject in the title, or similar areas.

How should I talk about completing a Subject Spotlight on my UCAS application?

Completing a Subject Spotlight shows the university you're applying to that you've taken time outside of school to engage with relevant content.

The easiest way to include it would be to briefly mention one or two things you learned from it and how/why those learnings have furthered your desire to study the subject. We don't want to prescribe an answer because it's your personal statement but this is a good starting point!