English Department – C201 Tribble Hall

Welcome to the English Department

When you study literatures in English, you engage with works of significant cultural and aesthetic value, wrestle with important philosophical questions, reconstruct histories of past times and places, and develop in writing your own critical and creative voice. We offer a diverse range of courses, a graduate program, an honors program, journalism, creative writing and medieval studies minors, scholarly lectures, readings by visiting writers, and other events, all of which give students a rich experience of the discipline of English.

Course Listings

Explore English Department course offerings in Literature, Creative Writing, the Writing Program, and Journalism.

English majors and minors develop valuable wisdom and skills and successfully pursue careers in a wide range of fields.

Learn more about the English Department faculty’s teaching interests as well as their research and creative specialties.

Our faculty accomplishments include published books, articles, and creative work, conference presentations, and awards and recognition.

The Dean Family Speaker Series brings nationally and internationally recognized scholars to present their research to students and faculty.

The Dillon Johnston Writers Reading Series brings emerging and established poets, fiction, and creative non-fiction writers to campus.

Kelsey Harrelson and Bri Carney awarded 2018-19 D.A. Brown Award for Excellence in Writing

Each semester, English faculty submit the best essays from their core (100-level) and upper-division (300-level) literature courses, and a faculty panel awards the writers of the top essay in each category the D.A. Brown Award for Excellence in Writing. The 2018-2019 recipients of the D.A. Brown Award for Excellence in… Continue Reading: Kelsey Harrelson and Bri Carney awarded 2018-19 D.A. Brown Award for Excellence in Writing

Fall 2019 Literary Events: A Summer Reading List

Get to know our fall 2019 visiting writers with this summer reading list! All of these readings and talks are open to the campus community and the public. We will update this page and our events calendar as event details are confirmed and additional speakers are added. Julie… Continue Reading: Fall 2019 Literary Events: A Summer Reading List

Professor Susan Harlan featured in Wake Forest Magazine: “The Objects of Her Desires”

Susan Harlan, Associate Professor of English, was featured in The California Issue (Summer 2019) of Wake Forest Magazine. An excerpt follows. Read the full article on Wake Forest Magazine’s website. The Objects of Her Desires For Susan Harlan, author and associate professor of English, every kitschy, cherished, poignant item in… Continue Reading: Professor Susan Harlan featured in Wake Forest Magazine: “The Objects of Her Desires”

Spring 2019 English Department Newsletter

The Spring 2019 edition of the newsletter is now online! You can view the PDF here or visit the Newsletters section of this website to view it along with past newsletters. This edition summarizes department news and events from the 2018-19 academic year, with a look forward to fall 2019… Continue Reading: Spring 2019 English Department Newsletter

Meet Alum Lillis Hendrickson ’13

Hometown: Houston, Texas Major/Minor: English and Communications Current Employment: Freelance Content Writer in London, England What role has the English major played in your career path? Before attending Wake Forest, I had never considered English as a viable major, but after my first English course (Introduction to British Literature with… Continue Reading: Meet Alum Lillis Hendrickson ’13

Meet Dr. Dean Franco, Professor of Literature

Dean Franco is Professor of English and Director of the Humanities Institute. Since joining Wake Forest in 2001, he has introduced new courses into the curriculum, including Studies in Chicana/o Literature and Multiethnic American Writers, and he has taught courses on comparative race studies, human rights and literature, literature and… Continue Reading: Meet Dr. Dean Franco, Professor of Literature

Welcome to the English Department

Course Listings

Why Study English?

Meet the Faculty

Faculty News

Dean Family Speaker Series