DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Students in conversation in an English class.

English at Villanova offers undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare you to read deeply, think critically, write effectively and speak confidently.

In the Villanova English Department, you encounter both revered classics and celebrated recent work by writers coming from widely different experiences and points of view. In our classes, you hone your writing skills, sharpen your abilities to analyze complex texts, deepen your understanding of cultural and material history, and stimulate your imagination.

The abilities you develop prepare you for fields including consulting, journalism, marketing, law, education, banking, government, college administration, screenwriting and publishing, as well as continued studies in competitive master’s or doctorate programs. In addition, beyond the numerous clubs and publications affiliated with the department, we are excited to offer a variety of scholarships for our undergraduate students.

The heart of the discipline of English is the power of the written word to tell stories, communicate ideas, broaden perspectives and bring about change.

  

Department Calendar

Happy 75th Anniversary to the English Major!

Kelly Corrigan Reading, Tuesday, Oct. 1st, Connelly Center Cinema, 7-8 p.m.

Bestselling author, host of the PBS Series Tell Me More, and the Top 1% Podcast and NPR Show, Kelly Corrigan Wonders, Kelly Corrigan joins us for a reading this October. This event is sponsored by The Writing Center and is ACS approved! See flyer for more details. 

All About the Bagels, Tuesday, Oct. 8th, SAC 402

We will have free bagels and cream cheese in the English lounge, from about 9:30 a.m. through noon.

The Playboy of the Western World by Bisi Adigun & Roddy Doyle, Wednesday, Oct. 9th, The Theaters at the Drake, 302 South Hicks Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, 7-9 p.m.

Almost 120 years after J.M. Synge’s blistering masterpiece The Playboy of the Western World shocked audiences, Inis Nua—Philadelphia’s home for contemporary Irish plays—opens their 21st season with a bold adaptation by Nigerian playwright Bisi Adigun and Irish writing icon Roddy Doyle (The Commitments, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha).

All About the Bagels, Tuesday, Oct. 22nd, SAC 402

We will have free bagels and cream cheese in the English lounge, from about 9:30 a.m. through noon.

Villanova Virtual Book Club Zoom Discussion on Klara and the Sun, Featuring Dr. Quigley! Wednesday, Oct. 23rd, 12-1 p.m., Zoom

The Villanova Alumni Association is hosting its first synchronous discussion for its Virtual Book Club members. Join current and past students and faculty to discuss Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Banned Together Screening, Wednesday, Oct. 23rd, doors at 6:30 p.m., pre-film intro at 7, Connelly Cinema

Join us for a private, pre-release screening of Banned Together, a “must-see” documentary about “three young women in Beaufort, SC during their senior year of high school as they fight hostile community members and school board officials to reinstate 97 books that were banned from school libraries.” Tickets are free, but registration is required.

Mother of Stories Book Launch at Main Point Books with Alice Dailey and Alan Drew, Thursday, Oct. 24th, 6:30 p.m., Maint Point Books in Wayne

Join Dr. Alice Dailey for the launch of her new memoir, Mother of Stories: An Elegy, at Main Point Books, with guest speaker Dr. Alan Drew.

English Pre-Registration Reception, Friday, Oct. 25th, SAC East Courtyard, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Join faculty and fellow students as we discuss next semester’s courses over lunch. There will be a raffle of books and Villanova English swag, student presentations, treats, and more. This is an ACS-approved cultural event, and all are welcome!

Fall 2024 English Symposium: Eliot Now: A Conversation, Tuesday, Oct. 29th, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

This event marks the publication of Eliot Now (Bloomsbury, 2024), an important new collection of scholarly approaches to the life and writing of T. S. Eliot, co-edited by our own Professor Megan Quigley. Dr. Quigley will be in conversation about the book—and about new directions in Eliot studies—with Patrick Query, Professor of English at West Point.

 

Check us out on the University calendar!


 

Solidarity with Black Lives Matter

Members of the English faculty promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. You can find out more about our efforts here.

Villanova University
Department of English
St. Augustine Center
Room 402

Department Chair
Professor Heather Hicks

Why Villanova English?

Careers Through English

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