The Conference
A landmark gathering focused on English language, literature, and creative writing, drawing colleagues from across education sectors.
8th & 9th July 2022 · Manchester & Salford
Celebrating and exploring the intellectual strength, diversity, and creativity of English language, literature, and creative writing in the UK and across the world.
Register NowEnglish: Shared Futures brings together academics, educators, authors, poets, and teachers to share research, practice, and creative work across the full breadth of English Studies.
A landmark gathering focused on English language, literature, and creative writing, drawing colleagues from across education sectors.
View the full two-day programme of panels, workshops, plenaries, salons, and readings across multiple venues.
Cultural fringe events celebrating the diversity of Manchester's writing, publishing, performance, libraries, and community projects.
Secure a place at the conference with tiered registration rates. All events and sessions are included in the registration fee.
Find travel information, accommodation suggestions, dining recommendations, and everything needed for a comfortable visit.
Stay up to date with the latest announcements, featured discussions, and highlights from the conference programme.
English: Shared Futures is a non-profit, grassroots disciplinary initiative supported by leading organisations in English Studies.
Reflections and featured discussions from the conference programme. View all posts →
One of the most energising sessions at English: Shared Futures 2022 was the panel exploring the current state of secondary English education and the challenges facing the discipline in schools. As NATE (the National Association for the Teaching of English) representatives and classroom practitioners discussed during the conference, the picture is complex, marked by both genuine reasons for optimism and persistent structural concerns that demand attention.
The good news, as several speakers emphasised, is that the passion and commitment of English teachers across the country remains remarkable. Despite the pressures of accountability measures, changing specifications, and the ongoing aftershocks of the pandemic on student learning, the profession continues to attract talented individuals who believe in the transformative power of reading, writing, and spoken English.
Continue reading →The Day 2 plenary at English: Shared Futures 2022 tackled one of the most pressing questions facing the humanities in the UK: what role can English Studies play in addressing regional inequalities? With the government's Levelling Up white paper having set out an ambitious vision for spreading opportunity more evenly across the country, the panel examined whether and how the discipline can contribute to that agenda in meaningful, sustained ways.
The discussion brought together scholars working in very different institutional and geographical contexts, from research-intensive universities in the South East to newer institutions in post-industrial towns in the North and Midlands.
Continue reading →Among the many rich discussions at English: Shared Futures 2022, the panel on the public humanities raised questions that resonate well beyond the academy. What does it mean for English Studies to be a public discipline? How can the research, teaching, and creative practice that takes place in universities reach and engage audiences who may never set foot in a lecture theatre?
These are not new questions, but they have taken on fresh urgency in a context where higher education faces increasing scrutiny about its social value and where the humanities in particular are under pressure to justify their existence.
Continue reading →The relationship between social class and literary production was the focus of one of the most thought-provoking panels at English: Shared Futures 2022. Under the title "A Writing Chance," speakers explored how socioeconomic background continues to shape who gets to write, who gets published, and whose stories are told in contemporary British literature.
The panel brought together academic researchers, creative writing educators, and practitioners with direct experience of navigating the publishing industry from working-class backgrounds.
Continue reading →Manchester's designation as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017 recognised what many in the literary world already knew: this is a city with an extraordinary depth and diversity of literary culture. The partnership between Manchester City of Literature and English: Shared Futures 2022 brought that culture into direct conversation with the academic study of English.
The fringe events, funded by Arts Council England, were designed to showcase the breadth of Manchester's literary scene, from established publishers and prize-winning authors to grassroots spoken word nights and community writing groups.
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