The project has ended but the activities developing creative writing at the English department continue. For up-to-date information contact David Livingstone.

The grant project was focused on developing creative writing projects and materials in English within the curriculum of the KAA (Department of English and American Studies) at Palacký Universtity in Olomouc, Czech Republic. Creative writing is an area which has often been neglected in the past at Czech English departments. It has become, however, a key area of both research and teaching both in the USA and UK and has met with great success and positive response. We have been carrying out research into how creative writing has been approached in the past in English speaking countries and not only implement these findings into our classes but also introduce new courses. These courses focus on the following areas: poetry, short stories, drama and essays. This has already taken place to some degree but we believe there is room for improvement.

The student work created within the project has been published in an anthology. The research into the issue is currently culminating in diploma theses involving gathering information on the development of the teaching of creative writing abroad with possible suggestions for implementing this know-how into practice within the Czech environment. Finally, the project involved inviting and hosting visiting writers and organising readings for both the academic and the general public. These readings have been be documented and archived on the web. They are also meant to serve to motivate students from other years and help make the department more attractive for new applicants.

The offering of quality courses in creative writing ensures that studies do not consist of only memorization but will also provide space for developing creative abilities