Sofia Nina Xuereb recently graduated with a BA Honours in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Warwick. Her studies were supported by a scholarship awarded under the Malta Arts Scholarships Scheme run by the Ministry of Education of the Government of Malta. At Warwick, one of the top ten British universities, she was taught by award-winning, practising writers.

The course combined theory with practical exercises, giving students the opportunity to experiment and create their own work. Seminars and workshops aided students to find their individual voice, experimenting with various forms and modes of writing, while discussing published texts alongside the students’ own writing. Studying classical and contemporary works of literature, and looking at work from all over the world, including translations, offered students new perspectives.

The course encouraged creative experimentation and offered opportunities to bring together different aspects of the creative arts. Sofia enjoyed learning to write for different mediums, receiving guidance to explore game theory, writing poetry, short stories of fiction and nonfiction, journalism, writing about human rights, and screenwriting, which included the opportunity to create her own short film.

During the final year of the course, she worked with a practitioner to create a longer piece of fiction, gaining the skills necessary for larger professional projects. Sofia intends to keep on writing in various genres and forms.