University's creative writing approach lacks commonsense

Joe McCoubrey · Post by **Joe McCoubrey** » 02 Jun 2012, 08:30

I’m still trying to come to terms with this week’s news that Colin Bateman, one of the world’s top authors, has been told by Queens’ University, Belfast that he can’t be considered for a post as a lecturer in creative writing. With typically elitist and outmoded reasoning they say the decision is based on the fact that Bateman hasn’t got a degree!

I don’t know about you but if I was undertaking studies in creative writing I’d want to listen to a man who has been doing just that for all his professional life and has more than 20 successful novels under his belt. It seems to me to be infinitely better than being subjected to the theorising of some academic. It just doesn’t make sense on a whole lot of levels.

SEE MORE: http://joemccoubrey1.com/2012/06/02/uni ... mmonsense/

Fran · Post by **Fran** » 02 Jun 2012, 08:37

Alfierory1 wrote:I’m still trying to come to terms with this week’s news that Colin Bateman, one of the world’s top authors, has been told by Queens’ University, Belfast that he can’t be considered for a post as a lecturer in creative writing. With typically elitist and outmoded reasoning they say the decision is based on the fact that Bateman hasn’t got a degree!

I don’t know about you but if I was undertaking studies in creative writing I’d want to listen to a man who has been doing just that for all his professional life and has more than 20 successful novels under his belt. It seems to me to be infinitely better than being subjected to the theorising of some academic. It just doesn’t make sense on a whole lot of levels.

SEE MORE: http://joemccoubrey1.com/2012/06/02/uni ... mmonsense/

Sounds downright ridiculous .... intellectual snobbery?