English Literature Summer School
If you are a keen reader, then you will know that there are few pleasures like finding a new book or poem that you love, or discovering a fresh perspective that transforms your appreciation of an old favourite.
This Summer School will guide you to some fantastic work that you might not yet have encountered, while at the same time showing you how to apply the essential tools of literary criticism, from historicism to psychoanalysis.
This journey will be all the richer for being undertaken alongside your fellow students, with seminars, close reading, and debates all giving the opportunity for you to work together in a friendly and supportive environment to explore your reactions and understanding. Groups will be small (maximum 12 students), to give plenty of opportunities for personal engagement and connection.
The tutors for this course are selected for their exceptional communication skills, outstanding academic record, and passion for literature – you can see our tutors page for some example profiles. Throughout this adventure, your tutor will act as guide, facilitator and mentor.
This year the online course will focus on early English Literature from Beowulf to the Renaissance, including Middle English, Medieval Literature, Chaucer and Shakespeare. Various critical lenses, including feminist, post-colonial, pyschoanalytic and historicist approaches will be introduced.
See a more detailed outline for the Summer School.
For full practical and booking details just scroll down past the reviews.
If you are a keen reader, then you will know that there are few pleasures like finding a new book or poem that you love, or discovering a fresh perspective that transforms your appreciation of an old favourite.
This Summer School will guide you to some fantastic work that you might not yet have encountered, while at the same time showing you how to apply the essential tools of literary criticism, from historicism to psychoanalysis.
This journey will be all the richer for being undertaken alongside your fellow students, with seminars, close reading, and debates all giving the opportunity for you to work together in a friendly and supportive environment to explore your reactions and understanding. Groups will be small (maximum 12 students), to give plenty of opportunities for personal engagement and connection.
The tutors for this course are selected for their exceptional communication skills, outstanding academic record, and passion for literature – you can see our tutors page for some example profiles. Throughout this adventure, your tutor will act as guide, facilitator and mentor.
This year the online course will focus on early English Literature from Beowulf to the Renaissance, including Middle English, Medieval Literature, Chaucer and Shakespeare. Various critical lenses, including feminist, post-colonial, pyschoanalytic and historicist approaches will be introduced.
See a more detailed outline for the Summer School.
For full practical and booking details just scroll down past the reviews.
Amazing!
The English Literature Summer School was amazing! Not only was the tutor engaging and enthusiastic, but the content itself was highly informative and stretched across a range of texts and across...Completely Inspiring
I absolutely adored the summer school - it was completely inspiring and I enjoyed every second of it! I would have done the week over and over! I would recommend ...Excellent Tutors
My week at the English Literature Summer School has been an invaluable experience and has aided my existing knowledge of English Literature greatly. For an aspiring English student at University, ...Felt Like Finding Home
Aside from reading as much good literature and as many literary critics as you can, this will be the single most important week in your pathway to being a...New Interests
A thorough overview of the key literary movements within England. This course is great for any prospective English literature university students. It introduced me to writers and texts that I ...Don't Hesitate!
Before attending the English Literature Summer School, I was not sure if I wanted to study this subject at higher level, but participating in such an academically driven environment,...A Fantastic Week
I found this Summer School exceptionally useful in broadening my knowledge of literature. It was an enjoyable way of learning more about my chosen subject in a relaxed and ...New Concepts
This was a super engaging course that both expanded my previous knowledge of the subject and got me thinking about new concepts and ideas. I would definitely recommend it to ...Friendly and Enjoyable
I found this course really stimulating. It encapsulated a lot; from close reading to explanations and questions formed on literary criticism and movements. We also explored how literature fit ...Uplifted and Educated
I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone doing A-Level English or considering studying English at University. The week left me feeling inspired and wanting to learn more about the...Completely Worthwhile
I would fully recommend this course to any English student thinking of carrying on this subject to university level as it provides a fantastic grounding in a wide spectrum of literature....Fantastic Conversations
The course has been hugely informative and stimulating for me; it was particularly useful and very interesting to be able to discuss and explore the new information we were receiving as a...Lovely Atmosphere
A really great overview of literature. I really enjoyed the expression of form/ content and its importance. I feel way more prepared to write my personal statement and uni interviews ...Group Discussions
The course runs through the history of English literature, from old / middle English to postmodernism. It was interesting to understand the way it has developed and all the different...Brilliant Students
As a budding English Literature student, in the process of starting my personal statement, I was eager to broaden my knowledge and experience of what degree level literature looked like...Expert Tutors
Debate Chamber’s English Summer School was an amazingly inspiring experience. Informative and enjoyable, its the perfect way to really enrich your personal statement and reach Oxbridge worthy knowledge in your...Highly Recommended
I enjoyed a fantastic week at the Debate Chamber, covering the Romantics right up to contemporary prose and poetry. Remarkably, no detail was skimped on – we covered a...Amazing Experience!
It was incredible to meet such a wonderful variety of people my age all united by a passion for literature. Everyone was so engaged and we were able to have ...Thoroughly Enjoyable
My week at Debate Chamber was the best of my whole summer holiday. The teachers were intelligent and focused and we moved at the perfect pace. I felt so informed...Online English Literature Summer School – Practical Details
The online English Literature Summer School is open to students aged 15 – 18. Teaching hours on each day will run from 10.00am till 3.30pm, with a lunch break.
Early English Literature Summer School (Origins to Renaissance) will take place August 26th – 29th 2025.
These are live online events, with small seminar groups offering fully interactive classroom discussion and debate. The events will not be recorded, so it is essential that you are able to attend during the course hours, and that you have a reliable audio and video internet connection.
The fee for this four-day Summer School is £425, and you can reserve your place with a 25% non-refundable deposit (up to the end of the deposit period). The remainder of the payment is due eight weeks in advance of the course start date. Please see here for full booking terms and conditions.
If you have any questions, simply call us on 0800 810 1058 or email us at [email protected].
Debate Chamber offers a limited number of full and partial bursaries to students who could not otherwise afford to attend. If you would like to apply for a bursary then please complete your bursary application here.