English: Shared Futures 8th – 9th July 2022

News & Updates

Reflections, highlights, and featured discussions from the English: Shared Futures conference programme.

03 Jan 2026

The State of Secondary English and the Shape of Things to Come: Some Good News & Bad News

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.

Continue reading →
30 Nov 2025

The Case for Culture: English Studies and the Levelling Up Agenda

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.

Continue reading →
31 Jan 2025

The Public Humanities in the 21st Century

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?

Continue reading →
29 Dec 2024

A Writing Chance: Class, Writing, and Publishing in Contemporary Britain

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.

Continue reading →
17 Oct 2024

Manchester City of Literature

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.

Continue reading →