Internationalizing the MFA in Creative Writing

Authors

  • Rodney H Jones City University of Hong Kong Author
  • Xu Xi City University of Hong Kong Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.v4i2.325

Keywords:

creative writing, English as a global language, internationalization, master of fine arts

Abstract

This article explores the prospects for internationalizing the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing, a degree that has gained considerable popularity in the United States in the past half century but has yet to gain much of a foothold in other countries. As part of this exploration, we describe the experiences of establishing the first low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in Asia at City University of Hong Kong, explaining the justification for setting up such a program with reference to the history of teaching creative writing and the current conditions for literary writing in English in Asia and globally. We also reflect upon the processes of planning, curriculum design, and administrative negotiation and that went into setting up the program and report on feedback from the first cohort of students. The experience of setting up this program is used as the basis for raising a number of more general issues regarding the teaching of creative writing in English in international contexts.

Author Biographies

  • Rodney H Jones, City University of Hong Kong

    Rodney H. Jones is Acting Head of the Department of English at City University of Hong Kong. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas and a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Macquarie University. His recent books include Discourse and Creativity (Pearson, 2012), Discourse Analysis: A Resource Book for Students (Routledge, 2012), and Understanding Digital Literacies: A Practical Introduction (with Christoph Hafner, 2012, Routledge).

  • Xu Xi, City University of Hong Kong

    Xu Xi is Writer-in-Residence and Director of the MFA in Creative Writing at City University of Hong Kong. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from University of Massachusetts (Amherst). She is author of nine books of fiction and essays and recipient of an O Henry Prize for fiction. Her latest novel, Habit of a Foreign Sky (2012, Haven Books) was shortlisted for the Man Asia Literary Prize.

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Published

2012-12-28

Issue

Section

Reflections on Practice

How to Cite

Jones, R. H., & Xi, X. (2012). Internationalizing the MFA in Creative Writing. Writing and Pedagogy, 4(2), 325-336. https://doi.org/10.1558/wap.v4i2.325

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