Posted on June 28, 2022 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Ah, some controversy from the other side of the pond.

A British university's decision to stop offering an English literature degree — instead rolling it into a broader literature degree — has riled a number of authors.

Sheffield Hallam University's announcement comes about a year after the University of Cumbria made a similar move, reports the Guardian.

And bestselling authors Philip Pullman (the His Dark Materials series) and Sarah Perry (The Essex Serpent) are among those voicing unambiguous and loud displeasure over the move.

Pullman argued that such decisions make the study of literature simply "a luxury for a wealthy minority of spoilt and privileged aesthetes," while Perry described it as yet another example of learning being "stripped of everything but the most utilitarian aims."

Sheffield Hallam University officials insisted that arts and humanities remain an important part of the school and said the move wouldn't result in job losses.

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Categories: Today in Books

Tagged As: The Guardian

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