Every year, dozens of students enjoy an exciting semester abroad in the British Isles led by English department faculty. The home of Furman’s first study away program, our department has been taking students on these global explorations since 1969. You can build memories that will last a lifetime, exploring cultural and literary landmarks in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England. There are residencies at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and in Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, each lasting about two weeks. You can study with renowned scholars from the Shakespeare Institute and attend performances at the famous Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The faculty vary the courses and travel plans each year, so each year’s study away experience retains the program’s challenging core yet also offers something new.

London is, of course, a highlight. You’ll spend six or more weeks here immersing yourself in the life of the city and studying English literature, history, politics, and culture under the supervision of Furman faculty and visiting scholars from Birkbeck, University of London. You’ll attend plays at the Royal National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, and other world-class venues, as well as visit such sites as Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore any number of historical and cultural sites on your own.

Fall Term in the British Isles

Study away courses this fall include:

  • Modern British and American Drama exploring playwrights such as Eliot, Osborne, and Wilder
  • Drama at Stratford with the Royal Shakespeare Company
  • Travel Study in the British Isles with a focus on London, visiting the Tate Gallery and other sites
  • Literature of the Irish Renaissance, highlighting Yeats, Joyce, Synge, and O’Casey

Want to join us in the British Isles? Applications are available at the Office for Study Away and International Education. Apply to study away.

May Experience

The Writing with Writers program is a highlight of our year’s offerings. Every May, Furman students have the opportunity to study with an accomplished author in a different literary genre: poetry, prose fiction, or creative nonfiction. Writers visit Furman for three weeks, teaching a workshop (Eng 225), giving a public reading, and sharing their life experiences with students.

Past Guests of the Writing with Writers Workshop

In 2016, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, a poet and photographer, taught the May writing course. Currently, Griffiths teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and IAIA (Institute of American Indian Arts). She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Our 2015 writer was Landon Godfrey, a poet, artist and actress from Black Mountain, N.C.  Her short fiction has appeared in Waxwing, and her prose on poetry has been published by Q Avenue Press, Gulf Coast, and Voltage Poetry.

In 2014, Amy Buttell Founder and CEO of Lake Effect Creative, a Content Marketing firm in Erie, PA. works with editors, marketing directors, and executives to develop compelling stories and narratives.   ​

Our 2013 guest was Edmund White, the nation’s most noted gay novelist, an author of nine novels, and a teacher of creative writing at Princeton University.

In 2012, Tony D’Souza, author of Whiteman, The Konkans, and Mule, worked closely with a dozen eager students and gave an engrossing reading in McEachern Lecture Room.

In the past, we have hosted fiction writer Bret Lott, the poet Sean Hill, and Neil Shea of National Geographic.