UConn English is a vibrant, collaborative community that covers the full range of literature written in English across the globe.
The UConn Department of English offers education and outreach programs that help students across the University become excellent writers, thoughtful communicators, and engaged citizens. Our scholars produce innovative research that asks tough questions about English and its impact on society.
Through our courses in traditional and emerging areas of study, we train students to become better readers and writers of text in all forms. We also share our love of English broadly, hosting programs that bring guest speakers, writers-in-residence, and educational initiatives to communities at UConn and beyond our five campuses.
Fast Facts
8:1
Ratio of majors to full-time English professors at UConn
25
Average class size for undergraduate courses
30+
Professional, literary, and writing events offered annually by the Department
Quick Links

Faculty Directory
Find a full list of our faculty, course instructors, and contact information.

Undergraduate Education
Students can customize their experience with our flexible English major and minor options.

Graduate Education
Our department offers graduate Ph.D., MA, and combined MA/Ph.D. tracks.
Recent News
Grad Landing: Margaret Ascenzo to GWU
Congratulations to Margaret Ascenzo, ’20 (Ph. D), who has accepted a position as Instructional Technologist at George Washington University in Washington, DC! Special thanks to Margaret’s committee: Charles Mahoney (major advisor), Sarah Winter, and Yohei Igarashi.
[Read More]Kiedra Taylor wins CETL University Teaching Awards
Congratulations to Kiedra Taylor, ’24 (Ph.D.), who has won the 2023 CETL Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award! Read more about Kiedra’s work with the Connecticut Writing Project and the Write On, Black Girl! magazine.
[Read More]Prof. Anna Mae Duane, new Humanities Institute Director
Prof. Anna Mae Duane is the newly appointed fourth director of the UConn Humanities Institute.
[Read More]Upcoming Events
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Mar
30
Carl Wennerlind: "Scarcity: A History from the Origins of Capitalism to the Climate Crisis"12:30pm
Carl Wennerlind: "Scarcity: A History from the Origins of Capitalism to the Climate Crisis"
Thursday, March 30th, 2023
12:30 PM - 02:00 PM
Storrs Campus Humanities Institute HBL 4-209
You are invited to the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute (HBL 4-209) on March 30, at 12:30PM to attend a talk by Carl Wennerlind, Professor of History at Barnard, on his new book on the history of capitalism: Scarcity: A History from the Origins of Capitalism to the Climate Crisis (Harvard UP, 2023).Contact Information: dwight.codr@uconn.edu, lauren.ziolkowski@uconn.edu
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Mar
30
Reading Group1:00pm
Reading Group
Thursday, March 30th, 2023
01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Storrs Campus Online
The Early Modern Reading Group brings together graduate students and faculty for lively, enriching conversations about texts with cross-disciplinary value. This semester we are reading Lady Ranelagh: The Incomparable Life of Robert Boyle's Sister.Contact Information: katharine.beene@uconn.edu
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Mar
30
Anne Enright/Gerson Irish Reading7:00pm
Anne Enright/Gerson Irish Reading
Thursday, March 30th, 2023
07:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Storrs Campus Alumni House
The Gerson Irish Reader 2023 will be Anne Enright, one Ireland’s most renowned contemporary fiction writers. Enright has published seven novels and received the 2007 Man Booker Prize for her best-selling novel, The Gathering. Enright’s second novel, What Are You Like?, was shortlisted for a 2000 Whitbread Award. Her writing consistently explores family, love, identity and motherhood, and her most recent novel, Actress, was published in 2020.Contact Information: mary.burke@uconn.edu
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Apr
3
Young Adult Publishing5:00pm
Young Adult Publishing
Monday, April 3rd, 2023
05:00 PM - 06:00 PM
Other virtual
Stephanie Stein (Editor, Harper Collins) Peter Knapp (partner and agent, Park & Fine) and Crystal Maldonado (author and UConn alum) demystify the world of young adult publishing.
Please register to attend: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsd-CrqjkiH9dzveVapCZmAqSCZZFo9APF
And submit any questions you have for our panelists to this Google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeH5OespyYcPnTGwce6_YQmEfLZmU-XghPAWhwGAT8xMJWAZw/viewform?usp=sf_linkContact Information: uchi@uconn.edu
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Apr
3
Film Screening of Marianne and Discussion with Director Valentina Canavesio6:00pm
Film Screening of Marianne and Discussion with Director Valentina Canavesio
Monday, April 3rd, 2023
06:00 PM - 08:30 PM
Storrs Campus Oak Hall 101
Join us for this beautiful documentary film featuring seven Muslim French women who share their unique stories about life in secular France. The 75 minute film will be followed by a discussion with the film's director, Valentina Canavesio.Contact Information: Mary Beth Allen mary.allen@uconn.edu 413-425-3604
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